After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, (Joshua 1:1)
When every boy child was being killed upon birth and some were dying and being eaten by reptiles in their hiding places, Moses was taken to the palace by the princess. He was raised as a prince and attended the best schools of then.
He left the palace and was approached by the God of the Universe and commissioned to rescue an entire race from slavery. He did with great wonders and held Egypt hostage until he rescued the slaves.
It was the rod of Moses that separated the sea. It was the hands of Moses upon which victory in some battles depended. It was only by the word and prayer of Moses that things happened in the entire camp.
When the family members dared to challenge his leadership, they ended up lepers at the mercy of Moses. Moses spoke to God face to face and always, his countenance changed and fellow men couldn’t afford to look at his glorious face.
Moses was the supreme leader over even the priestly office that dealt with the forgiveness of people. While the priests interceded for the general public, it was Moses who actually interceded for a priest in case they messed up.
When God was sending Moses to Egypt, he told him, I have made you god to Aaron and Aaron a prophet to you. In those days, when one was on good terms with Moses it was a default perfect relations with God himself.
Moses was not just a big name or just an influential figure, he was as big as the exodus itself. He was as big as the existence and functionality of the entire pilgrim. Moses was the man upon which every activity operated.
In fact, if you took Moses out of the events in the books of Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy they lose coherence and meaning altogether.
If Israel was a nation, its leader, Moses, was bigger than it. At one time, God wanted to destroy all of them and remain with his Moses only and again, it was Moses who negotiated their survival. What a great man! what a hero! Moses was everything and his successful resume goes on for 40 years.
While that is still in your heart and mind, look at what the first verse in the book of Joshua that says:
After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD..
AFTER THE WHAT? Yes after the DEATH. Wait a minute do people like Moses also DIE? How can someone upon which everything depends die? We all die and it doesn’t matter how great we have been, we die.
If that is too big to take in, here comes another spoiler in verse 2:
Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all these people, into the land which I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. (Joshua 1:2)
I thought when people like Moses die, the journey and mission end there!? I was wrong.
However big and useful Moses was, he was not bigger than the mission. This is a very humbling message from God to all of us who think we are everything.
Many ministers name ministries after themselves like Isaiah-White Ministries and when you look closely, you find that Pastor Isaiah-White is everything in that ministry. And truth be told, some ministries crumble after the pastor’s demise.
But this is what I have learnt. When a mission ends with an individual; it means that it was never an important mission originally.
No man is bigger than the company and actually, no man is equivalent to a public mission. Do not be deceived by your contribution. It doesn’t matter whether you started the company or the mission.
It doesn’t matter whether you have the biggest investment and sacrifice in the mission. The mission is bigger than you and you are expendable.
While you are important in this marriage, your marriage is bigger than you and that is why if you ever think that you (as an individual) are more important than it (the marriage), that will be your end in marriage but not the end of marriage.
Let me make sure you get me right here. The fact that you have failed in marriage does not mean marriage (as an institution) will end. No. No. Other people will continue with marriage because MARRIAGE as an institution is bigger than us who participate in it.
Moses the great died but the after 30 days, God came and told Joshua that let’s proceed. Moses was not the mission. So with or without Moses business must continue.
Some people think that without them in the picture, projects, missions, companies, institutions, and nations will end or actually not thrive.
But am here to tell you that in fact, you might be the hindrance to real success.
For over 40 years, the Israelites had never crossed over the Jordan into Canaan until the great Moses died.
Listen to me my friend, I don’t care how many performances and best employee awards you have got from your company, it will not close for the whole week when you are sick, it will continue.
My fellow parent, you have no proof that your children will not be better after your death, I have seen healthier orphans who enjoy services they could not access while their parents lived.
I am not saying we should relax on being responsible or become careless, all am saying is that: THE WORKERS OF GOD DIE, BUT THE WORK OF GOD NEVER DIES.
If we maintain this truth in our hearts, we will humble ourselves and have balance in whatever we do. We will know when to mentor other ministers. We will know when to retire and give others space to contribute to the great work and mission of God which outlasts us.
God bless you, I invoke TRUTH, REASON and FAITH.
Pr. ITM WHITE
The Gospel Hawker
iTiS Well of Worship Ministries (John 4:24)
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24) 