“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Deuteronomy 31:6
The boy and his dad had a great relationship. They enjoyed each other’s company and spending time together. The boy relied on his dad for advice and direction. The high spot in the dad’s day was when his son sought his advice. Now Dad was gone. The sickness came quickly. Their last few weeks were bitter sweet. It was tragic, yet, they saw the goodness of God in it. They had time to share their goodbyes and love each other. Words were said that would stay with the boy for the rest of his life.
One of these conversations was very similar to the one Moses had with the Israelites in Deuteronomy 31. He is stepping off the scene and he will soon turn leadership over the Joshua and go to be with the Lord. He tells the people not to be afraid. They would not be alone. “For the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” (vs.6b) The people had followed Moses’ leadership for 40 years but now he would not be there. They felt lost and afraid. Moses wanted them to know that there was no need for fear. The new leadership was in place and God Himself would go with them.
After Dad was gone the boy missed him. He mourned him but he did not fear for the future. Enough of the dad was inside of him to give him confidence. The legacy from his dad was an assurance that the Heavenly Father was ever near to guide and encourage. The boy could, “Be strong and of a good courage,” and “fear not”. “For the LORD thy God, he it is that”would go with him. He knew that the Heavenly Father would not fail or forsake him.
