After all that Moses has been through – being saved by his mother, raised by Pharaoh’s daughter, living in exile, being called back to set the Hebrews free, being led and leading through the wilderness – he stands at the top of the mountain and looks out over the land that God has promised. The last step is not his to take. Instead, it will be Joshua who leads the final leg of the journey.
To pass the mantle of leadership to the next generation is not an easy thing to do. It can be a painful transition as former leaders mourn the loss of that particular purpose or worry that the next generation will do things differently or have a different vision altogether. When have you been called to entrust a cherished role or duty to someone else? What made it difficult? Was there a sense of relief? What gifts or new insights did the next person lend to the project? How might the opportunity have enriched the life of the new person in charge?
Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for all the ways God has called you to lead – in church, at work, in an organization, at home – and commit yourself to supporting younger leaders who are now in those roles.