If your time on earth were to end today, what would you want
your epitaph to say?
I asked myself that question as I was finishing my
soon-to-be released Bible study: Eyewitness
to Glory: Moses: Discerning God’s
Active Presence. As I read the final chapter of Moses’ story, I was struck
afresh by the remarkable epitaph in Scripture, honoring Israel’s reluctant, yet
powerfully effective leader:
Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 34:10-12 NIV)
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| Available in Bookstores June 13, 2014 |
Moses was chosen to free the
Israelites from slavery in Egypt and along that journey, he became an
eyewitness to the glory of God. The stammering, often-reluctant-follower of God
was compelled to continue despite his personal sense of unworthiness and the
many obstacles and hardships he faced along the way. “He persevered because he
saw Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27).
Moses clearly made mistakes along his journey. Everyone
does. But, because Moses obediently served the Lord despite his inadequacies
and fears, God was ultimately glorified through Moses’ obedience and
leadership. His epitaph serves as a reminder of what God can do in the life of someone
who simply surrenders to God and obeys His commands.
Moses is remembered as a man whose intimate relationship
with God was evidenced by the lives God impacted through his life and
leadership. If your time on earth were
to end today, what would you want your epitaph to say?
Let’s ask God to show us the changes we need
to make in order to live as we want to be remembered.
