Deuteronomy 34:1–12 ‘I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.’ (v4)
Rosalind Franklin was a scientist who helped discover the double helix structure of DNA. Sadly, she contracted cancer and died at the age of thirty-seven.
She never won a Nobel Prize. After her death, three of her male colleagues collected the Nobel Prize instead, and only recently has her part in the research been recognised.
It’s all too common that people can dedicate their whole life to one particular goal, only for it to be snatched away and someone else take the credit.
If we’re not careful, it can make us bitter. Moses had one goal in life: to take the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. He did the first part admirably.
However, because he disobeyed God at Meribah (Num. 20:1–13), Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land himself.
Though this must have been heartbreaking for Moses, God shows him grace by giving him warning of his death (Deut. 31:14) so he could end well.
To reassure Moses, God also gives him a private showing of the Israelites’ future and the wonderful land they’d enjoy. Moses was honoured (Deut. 34:8–12).
When we don’t reach our goals or get the recognition we feel we deserve, we can remember Moses, who believed he would lead the people into Canaan but instead handed the baton on well to Joshua.
It’s infuriating when we don’t get credit for our achievements, and it can feel really confusing when we’re thwarted in our dreams.
All we can do is come back to God and look to the Lord’s affirmation, who sees all. Rather than dwell on what we didn’t achieve, we can celebrate what we did, and know that under God, our labour is not in vain.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Lord, when I’m a Joshua, standing on the shoulders of giants, give me humility and gratitude for my predecessors. When I’m a Moses, reassure me I’ve done my part. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Make a list of the goals you never reached or the dreams you had to abandon. Hold them tenderly before God. Ask God to show you the value of the time spent pursuing them.
Scripture To Consider:
1 Sam. 20:31–42 & 24:16–22; John 16:7–13; Heb. 11:1–15
