Moses never stepped foot in the promise land… To come so far, but not be able to cross into the promise land must have crushed him. He led the Israelites for 40 years through the desert watching God do amazing things in and through him, but when he gazed upon the finish line, he could go no further. By today’s standards, this would have been the most insane ultra-marathon to attempt! He would gaze upon God’s promise, but never step foot into it.
I enjoy endurance events and there is one term no competitor ever likes to see next to their name: “DNF” which means Did Not Finish. By most accounts, this term is associated with failing, but in some cases, I totally disagree. You see, to have this term next to your name means you at least had the courage to get in the race. There are many reasons why some are not able to finish, but the point is that they tried to accomplish their goal. In all of us, God has birthed some sort of passion or dream and it is up to us to allow God to speak into our life so we can move toward accomplishing it. In Thomas Edison’s quest to make an incandescent electric light, he was a very empirical man who remained positive as he literally tested thousands of different substances as suitable filaments. In each unsuccessful attempt, he would simply state, “I have found one more way not to make a light bulb.”
You can run, swim, or ride as fast as you want, but if you aren’t going in the right direction it doesn’t matter how fast or far you are going. Listening to God is the only way we know for sure if we are going in the right direction. For me the only thing better than crossing the finish line is seeing it. There is something so empowering about seeing the goal you set out to conquer within your sights. God promises us so many wonderful things at the finish line and if we could just keep those mental images ingrained in our minds instead of past failures or fear of future ones, I believe our drive to keep fighting would be significantly improved. If there is no goal, no dream, or no vision, then having a purpose in life is nonexistent.
Martin Luther King Jr., steps away from accomplishing his dream, spook of seeing the promise land the night before he was shot. Even though he would not live to see what he fought so hard to achieve, it did not make his dream coming true any less real. Moses, in the same way accomplished a monumental task leading the Israelites out of captivity. What is God calling you to do? Have you just prayed and then remained silent? It is in these times that the still small voice of God stirs in us. Then it is up to us to allow that seed to take root and begin moving us toward our God-given destiny. In a world full of constant distractions and endless noise, we must be diligent in spending time alone with God. When you do, get ready to see God do some amazing things in your life because He is waiting for us to slow down enough and just listen to Him.