Running The HUMAN Race

Deuteronomy 31:6 -- "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." 

Landing was always one of the most nerve-racking things about flying, if you ask me. I can handle turbulence, hitting those pockets that take the bottom out of your stomach as the plane lurches in a surprise loss of altitude. I can handle lighting that pops all around the plane, making the hairs on your arms stand up with added static. But landing .... that's something I don't think I'll ever get the hang of, no matter how many, many times I fly.

A good distraction for me was to look down at the rat race rushing about like ants on a recently disturbed mound. That crazy HUMAN race that everyone seems to be rushing about to win with no unified finish line to coordinate our movements into a smooth and flowing progress - very much like those crazy and shocked ants that seem to loose their barrings when their world gets turned upside-down. Even those of us in the big metal bird up in the air hit the ground running once the wheels have come to a complete stop and the doors are open. We all just keep on moving, moving, moving. 

I wonder if the ants get tired of re-building the mound. Is there a moment when - as the dirt walls crumble in around them for the umpteenth time they throw their hands up in the air and give up? I know the people do. I know that the crazy gets to some and they throw in the towel. They get tired of lacing up their running shoes and jumping all the hurtles. I think it must have been that way for the people in Deuteronomy. Joshua was told by Moses that he would lead the people into the land that God had promised them. But they had been wondering in the desert for so very long. They had to fight their way into a land that was filled with huge obstacles and then they had to fight to keep it. They were tired. Even before they reached the promised land they were ready to throw in the towel. More than once.

But here, Moses reminds us that we have a most powerful weapon. We have One that will go before us and lead the way. We have One that will never leave us - never forsake us. In fact, this is so important that Moses says it again in verse 8: "The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." 

It's a difficult thing for a human to comprehend - NEVER. No human is able to NEVER. But our Father will NEVER leave us. He will NEVER fail us. We really CAN cling to him with all our courage. We really CAN march forward without fear because we know that no matter how many times the dirt walls of the mound come tumbling down around us - God will ALWAYS be the first One in to pick up the pieces.