See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. —Deuteronomy 1:21
A word of encouragement is indispensable at the start of a new journey, especially when the journey demands people move through great danger to accomplish what God has promised to them. After four hundred years of slavery, the people now must summon their courage and follow Moses into the Promised Land. They had experienced the great deliverance of God through the Ten Plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the giving of the Torah the Law of God delivered on the mountain. Moses challenges them to be courageous and embrace the rich promises of God. My friend, we stand at a similar place in our time. With our world in decay and chaos, it is our turn to follow God’s Word and embrace his promises without fear and discouragement. Rather than wallowing in pessimism, we are called to be God’s light in our dark world (Matthew 5:14-16; Philippians 2:14). Let’s embrace this challenge as our great opportunity to shape the future for good and for God!