Joshua 1:1,2
“After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them.”
Almighty God states the obvious and then tells Moses’ assistant that it’s now time for you to lead the people. Next man up!
Joshua was nothing like Moses. The truth is that no one was or ever would be like Moses…
Deuteronomy 34:10 “There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.”
God was not charging Joshua with the responsibility to ‘be like Moses’; but he did make two important comparisons:
v 3 “I will give you every place where you will set your foot, as I promised Moses.” and v 5 “No man will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.”
The leader may change but God and His Promises do not change. So – Next Man Up!
We often like to tell someone, “Man up” to get them to screw on their courage and act like a man, doing it even if they’re afraid. Often this means stepping into a vacant role that needs filling, NEXT man UP, to fill it. Brian illustrates this beautifully in just a few wentences with just one Scripture reference!