The Fear of Starting Again 4

<p>Thursday 15 April</p> <p><br></p> <p>The Fear of Starting Again 4</p> <p><br></p> <p>Have you ever had the responsibility of leading a discouraged people after a great leader has just left the scene? Have you had to motivate and move an audience to action by your speech after a great speaker had just spoken leaving the people on a somber note? It is a very awkward place to be and that is exactly where young Joshua found himself.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Moses, Israel’s larger than life leader and deliverer, the one who single handedly brought the most powerful nation and its king to its knees as he led God’s people out of bondage had suddenly gone up the mountain to die. Moses… die? Nobody could believe it. It wasn’t unusual for him to go away into the mountain for extended periods, maybe this is just another episode, he’ll be back they thought.</p> <p><br></p> <p>His young assistant Joshua was the new leader appointed to continue his mission of taking the people to the promised land. But even Joshua couldn’t believe that Moses wasn’t coming back. God had to personally tell Joshua that Moses was dead and wasn’t coming back. God instructed him to start from where Moses stopped and take the people to the promised land. Joshua couldn’t believe what he was hearing, how in the world would he be able to lead the people to complete an assignment that Moses started. He had no problem with being Moses’ assistant but to take over Moses’ position…that was beyond him. (Josh. 1:1-3)</p> <p><br></p> <p>Josh. 3:7-11, NLT</p> <p><br></p> <p>7The LORD told Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses. 8Give this command to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: ‘When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there.’”</p> <p><br></p> <p>9So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come and listen to what the LORD your God says. 10Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will sure