On The Other Side Of The Door

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here is something unique about the view from a hospital gurney. The ride from my hospital bed to the operating room seemed interminable because all I could see were the lights overhead as they passed by.  Voices unfamiliar to me were all around and my sense of direction was all out of whack!  Mom and dad were close by, following right behind as we made our way through the labyrinth of Duke University Medical Center on our way to the operating suite. 

When we arrived, the gurney came to an abrupt halt!  We had come to the green double doors that indicated the moment of separation had come.  On this side of the doors mom and dad were close by, giving me assurance that all would be well.  On the other side of the doors lay the operating room and the unknown.  After we said our goodbyes, the gurney moved forward, this time without mom and dad’s supervision, and I entered those unfamiliar surroundings all by myself!   

This is exactly how Joshua must have felt when the reality of Moses’s death and the realization that he would be the one leading the people into the Promised Land hit home. The journey to the Jordan River and the Promised Land had been a long one.  Joshua had experienced mana, the pillar of fire by night and the pillar of cloud by day.  He had accompanied Moses to Mt. Sinai where God gave the ten commandments, and he lived through the 40 years of wondering in the wilderness.  He and Caleb were the only two of twelve spies left who had actually seen the Promised Land.  But none of this prepared him to take the reins from Moses and lead the people over the Jordan River to possess the land.

On this side of the doors lay the history of his people and all he had known.  On the other side, even though he knew the land was theirs, lay the unknown.  How would they conquer the land?  How long would it take?  Could he do it?  What would happen if he should fail?  The questions must have been innumerable in Joshua’s mind as he played out one scenario after another.

What Joshua needed was support and assurance and that is exactly what God gave him.  In Joshua 1:9 we find these words of comfort, assurance, and encouragement: ^“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Take a few moments, slow down, and read that verse again, very carefully.  Notice that it begins with a question as God reminds Joshua that he has given a direct command. Joshua is not to be afraid, he is not to be discouraged. No matter how long the conquest lasted, no matter how many cities he had to vanquish, and no matter the size of the armies he would encounter, God’s command was clear: be strong and courageous, do not be afraid.  These were not requests or suggestions; they were commands. But the commands were followed by the promise that God would be with Joshua every step of the way.  The word, wherever, means just that.  There was nowhere Joshua could go, no situation he could face, no obstacle he could encounter without God being right along beside him!

And how about today?  How about the situations in life that we face, the obstacles we encounter, and the situations that overwhelm us and seem to grow bigger and bigger with each passing moment?  God’s answer is exactly the same as it was on the day he spoke these words to Joshua.  No matter where we are, no matter what difficulties we face, no matter how impossible the circumstances, and no matter how dark the way ahead seems to be, the God we serve is with us wherever we go—no questions asked!  Just a few verses before this, God makes this promise to Joshua: “…As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Several hours after passing through those double doors I emerged. I was sleepy, tired, very sore, and completely changed.  On the other side of those doors God was waiting for me and, although surrounded by unfamiliar faces, voices, and difficult circumstances, I was not alone! And neither are you my friend, neither are you!