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to be strong and courageous. Courage th a t does not re st on C h rist’s presence is audacity ra th e r th a n courage and is su re to collapse.—^Maclaren. There are believers who, by God’s grace, have climbed th e m ountains of full assurance of God’s power. These are they who d.o g reat exploits for God and are men of renown.— Spurgeon. Moses was dead. There was a pecul ia r sadness about»the death of Moses a t th is time. Have you no t often felt th e same when you have seen some g reat leader fall when MY CIiASS ju s t abou t to finish a OP GIRLS g rea t work? Moses C lara Silliman had been appointed by God to be th e great leader of th e children of Israel and they had no t yet reached th e ir destination— th e Prom ised Land. How seldom we finish our work! We lay plans for a lifetim e b u t God alone dictates w hether or not we finish w hat we plan, and very often ano th er completes w h at we have sta rted . Doubtless you all have plans for a life work, b u t you do no t know ju s t where, for you a t least, th a t work may suddenly be cu t off. Jo shu a, Isra el’s New Leader. I t seemed Moses could h ard ly be spared b u t God is not dependent upon any man, and His work goes on ju st th e same, no m a tte r how g reat th e leader or im po rtan t th e w orker who drops from th e ranks. I suppose the children of Israel felt they could not go on w ithou t Moses b u t God had a m an ready to tak e his place. God is never a t a loss. He has chosen to w ork th rough hum an agencies and when He has a w ork to be done, He has a person to do it. Jo shua was appointed “a fte r th e d eath of Moses” b u t he was no t God’s afterthough t. God knew Jo shua was to succeed Moses and h ad been preparing him for years for th a t place. His whole life h ad been a
preparation. He had been in servitude as a youth and knew how to obey orders and those who have learned how to obey are best able to rule. You see when God chooses a person, He makes w hat seems to be th e most adverse cir cum stances a tim e of preparation. Jo shua had been in personal atten d ance upon Moses and so learned much about leadership from him , and he had been faith fu l in th e little things and so was able to do g reat things. God has a work for each one of you. F o r all you know it may be th e g reat work of leadership, bu t whatever it is, you are being prepared for it each day. The joys, the sorrows, th e easy things and the hard things are all a p a rt of your train ing . God never promotes us un til we do our p resen t work w ith credit. Are you doing w ith your m ight w hat your hands find to do? Conditions of Jo sh n a’s Success. F irs t— God’s Prom ises.— The chil dren of Israel had literally to tread w ith th e “ sole of th e foot” upon th e land they w anted to receive from God. It could no t be th eirs unless they did. They could enjoy only as much land as they conquered and took possession of. God has given to every believer a land to be possessed. Redemption in Christ Jesu s is of no benefit to a sin-sick soul unless it is appropriated. Have you made it your own? The prom ises of Scripture are no t ours u n til we claim them for ourselves. Second— Courage and F aith .— Jo shua was to “be strong and of a good cour age.” Nothing b u t th e consciousness of God’s presence could have given Jo shua courage for his task. He knew God had chosen him , and th a t when He appoints and leads th e way, He also sends th e power to execute. He knew of God’s care for His own th rough th e experiences of th e w ilderness journey, and w h at God had done, He could do again. It is a com fort to us too, to know th a t th e same grace th a t was
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