Whose Will?

"But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the LORD said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter. Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him: for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see." Deuteronomy 3:26-28

In the days of my youth there was a popular secular song entitled, "How Deep Is Your Love?". For the world this is mostly a theoretical question. The world as most of you have discovered is centered around the individual. Therefore, their answer to the musical question raised by the songwriter is: skin deep. In other words, as long as I don't have to suffer, experience pain or discomfort I'm your man 100 grand. Now, contrast that attitude with the one exhibited by Moses in The Book Of Deuteronomy. Because of his disobedience, illustrated in The Book Of Numbers 20:7-12, Moses was forbidden by God to enter into the Promise Land. Yet, God commanded Moses to "encourage " and "strengthen" Joshua. Now, imagine for a minute, you have spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness with a people because of their disobedience and now they get to enter into the promise land and you don't. Not only that, but God commands you to train and equip your replacement. Could you do? Would you murmur and complain? Moses didn't complain, instead he proceeded to train and prepare Joshua and the people for their new life across the Jordan River. Moses understood that God is the center, and not he himself. Meditate on that the next time you are faced with a choice between your flesh and God's will. As great as Moses' actions were, they still pale in comparison to Jesus' display of love. Moses did after all sin against God, but Jesus was innocent and without sin. In spite of that fact we find these words in Matthew 26:42, "He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done."