⁵ So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, just as the Lord had said. ⁶ The Lord buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact place. ⁷ Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever. ⁸ The people of Israel mourned for Moses on the plains of Moab for thirty days, until the customary period of mourning was over.

⁹ Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him, doing just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Deuteronomy 34:5-9

Dear God, there are always different chapter and phases of our journey. When we are children, we start school and begin a 13-year journey to high school graduation. Some might then start college and the journey to at least one degree–possibly multiple degrees and advanced degrees. Eventually, most will start a career and the long climb to accomplishment and eventual retirement. At the same time, we often get married and start building a family, first with our spouse and then raising children. The journey goes on and on. Sometimes we build on what we’ve done before, and sometimes we start over from scratch.

I have a new woman at work who is working on fundraising for our nonprofit with me. I told her that I call fundraising throughout the year the “fundraising wheel.” It turns in a big circle with our different fundraising activities, and then when the year finishes, we start again. We work to raise the money we need for the budget all year long, and then when January comes we start over at zero and start climbing the hill again. I guess all businesses are like that.

I am thinking about all of this because I’m thinking about Joshua and what was in front of him here. He had spent the last 40 years following Moses’s lead. Now, although he was taking up where Moses had left off, for the most part, he was starting at zero. There was a Promised Land to inhabit and he had to start the process one step at a time. One prayerful moment at a time. One battle at a time.

At my work, we are about to start the process of expanding our building to improve our existing services, offer more services, and prepare for growth over the next 20 years. I’ve never done anything like this before. Perhaps it’s for the best because my ignorance might just be my ally. If I knew how hard this will be I might be too afraid to do it. But I have you. I have prayer and faith. I am going to find a day to fast and pray to you about this because I know I cannot do any of it–select an architect, select a plan, raise the money, and oversee the construction, all the while managing our existing operations–without your guidance and provision.

Father, there are many aspects of my life that need your leadership. Okay, every aspect of my life needs your leadership. Please lead me. Please keep me from going in any direction that you do not support. Make our leadership wise and discerning. Help us. Help me. And please do it all for your glory.

I offer all of this to you, submitted to your authority,

Amen