The God Who Stands

The God who Stand Before us
Deut. 31:1-13
“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”

When life is chaotic, it is easy to lose sight of God. Israel was facing their greatest challenge. Not only were they about the enter into a major military campaign, but they were also facing a significant change in leadership. From the outset of the Exodus, Moses led the people with steadfast faith in God. For forty years, as Israel wandered in the wilderness, Moses’s faith had been the anchor for the nation. Whenever the people wavered in fear, Moses stood tall and firm. But everything was about to change. Moses’ death was imminent, so he gave the nation his final address. Moses knew the journey ahead would be fraught with trials and failures, fears and terrors. Even though God would provide them with victory through Joshua, God reveals to Moses that the people would rebel against God so that God would bring his discipline upon them. Because of their sinful bent, life in the promised land would not always be easy. Consequently, in chapter 30, God warns Israel that they must choose to either obey God and enjoy his blessings or rebel and experience his judgment.  
With all the uncertainty facing Israel, Moses gathers the people and gives them one final word of encouragement. Moses recognizes that with change and adversity comes fear and apprehension. They would face many struggles ahead, and it would be easy to become discouraged. However, the problem is not with the size of the armies they will meet or the size of the challenges they face; the problem is their view of  God. Thus, Moses reminds them of who God is.
First, God will “cross over ahead of you” (3-4).   In other words, the one standing between the people of Israel and the challenges they face is God himself. God does not remain in the back, merely shouting meaningless words of encouragement. He does not stand on the sideline, only observing the events. Instead, he is in front of his people, leading the way and dealing with any threat or fear we might face.
Second, God “will do” (vs. 4). In that statement, we see the promise of God’s activity. He is not inactive; he is not indifferent to the needs of his people. On the contrary, he is a God who acts, who is engaged in the lives of his people and actively involved in our lives.
Third, God “will deliver.” God is always victorious over any enemy of his people. God is never threatened. Thus God will give the enemies to the hands of the people. God will provide the victory. He is the one who gives us our confidence that nothing can destroy us.
Fourth, God will “not fail or forsake them.”  There is a play on words that is not expressed in English. The word “fail” shares the same pronunciation (raphah) as the word
“Rephaim” in Deut. 2:20, which described the people opposing Israel as “giants.”  God is not intimidated or frightened by the things that frighten us. He does not fail even when enemies seem like giants to us. Because he will not fail, he will not forsake his people. He does not “leave us in the lurch” to fend for ourselves when the going becomes most difficult.
Just as God gave the Israelites victory, so he also provides us with the triumph over the threats that come against us. We, too, are to be strong and courageous, for God stands between us and the challenges we face, and he does not abandon his post. Are you fearful of world events today? Are you facing issues in your life that seem overwhelming? Remember, just as God went before the Israelites in their struggles to ensure their victory, he goes before us and is actively engaged in our life so that we also will have the victory. With God before us, there is no threat in front of us, only the God of the universe who is unassailable and unconquerable. When God stands before us, no threat can stand against us.