Deuteronomy 3:22 (ESV)
“You shall not fear them, for it is the LORD your God who fights for you.”
Anyone who has had the privilege of being a parent knows that you face moments like this continually. You see your child approaching a challenge, and everything in you wants to make it easier. You would take the pressure off their shoulders if you could. But there are things you cannot spare them from and steps you cannot take for them. You hope that what you have taught them, what you have modeled, and what you have prayed over them has helped prepare them for what comes next.
As a parent, that can be a difficult place to stand. When they are little, you can solve so many of their problems by picking them up or stepping into the situation. As they grow, the challenges change, and your role changes with them. You still care just as deeply, but you begin to recognize that loving them includes helping them face something you cannot handle on their behalf. You remain available, you offer guidance, and you pray while they learn to take responsibility and trust God for themselves.
In Deuteronomy 3, Moses is preparing Joshua for the responsibility ahead of him. Israel has experienced victories over powerful kings, and Moses reminds Joshua of what he has seen God do. Those victories would matter when Joshua faced the battles still ahead. He would lead the people across the Jordan and into the land God had promised them, carrying a responsibility that had belonged to Moses for so many years. Moses points him toward God’s faithfulness as the foundation for his courage.
There is also a deeply personal part of this chapter. Moses asks God to let him cross over and see the land, but God tells him that he will not lead the people into it. Instead, Moses is instructed to commission Joshua and encourage and strengthen him. Consider what that required of Moses. He had to prepare someone else to do something he desperately wanted to do himself. His own disappointment was real, and he still had a responsibility to help Joshua move forward.
That is something worth sitting with. We often think about faith in terms of the steps God asks us to take personally. But sometimes faith involves helping another person take a step while accepting that our part in the story is changing. A child becomes more independent. Someone we trained becomes capable of carrying greater responsibility. A person we have supported begins making decisions without needing our input on every detail. We can be thankful for their growth and still feel the weight of having less control.
Moses had something valuable to give Joshua because he had walked with God through difficult seasons. He knew what it was like to face opposition, to feel overwhelmed, and to need direction he could not provide for himself. When he reminded Joshua of God’s past victories, he was giving him something solid to remember. We can do that for the people in our lives, too. We can speak honestly about the ways God has sustained us, including the times when we were afraid and did not know how everything would work out.
That kind of encouragement goes deeper than telling someone they will be fine. Sometimes the situation really is difficult. The responsibility may be heavy, and there may be disappointment along the way. We do people a favor when we acknowledge those realities while helping them remember who God is. Joshua would have battles to fight and decisions to make. Moses encouraged him with the assurance that God would be with him in those responsibilities. His confidence could rest in the Lord even when the circumstances gave him plenty of reasons to feel intimidated.
For those of us who are parents, this shapes the way we prepare our children. We want to give them wisdom, help them develop good judgment, and teach them to follow through on what is right. We also want them to know where to turn when their own wisdom runs out. They need to see that prayer belongs in everyday decisions, that Scripture gives direction, and that asking for help is part of growing. Those lessons take root over time through ordinary conversations and through watching how we respond to our own challenges.
You do not have to be a parent for this passage to speak to your life. You may have a friend facing a difficult decision, a coworker taking on something unfamiliar, or a family member walking through a season you cannot change. Your presence and encouragement can matter more than you realize. Listen carefully. Remind them of the growth you have seen in them. Share what you know of God’s faithfulness, and be willing to remain close even when you cannot offer a quick solution.
Think about someone in your life who needs that kind of encouragement today. What could you say that would help strengthen them for the responsibility in front of them? Moses could not cross the Jordan with Joshua, but he could help prepare him to cross it. We will face moments when we have done what we can and must entrust someone we love to God’s care. As we do, we can remember that the Lord who has been faithful in our lives is fully able to meet them in the challenges ahead.
Prayer
Father, thank You for the people You have entrusted to my care. Give me wisdom to prepare them well and patience to let them grow. Help me recognize when to step in and when to give them room to take responsibility. When I feel anxious about what they are facing, teach me to bring that concern to You. Let my words strengthen their faith, and let my example point them toward Your faithfulness. Help us trust You with the steps we cannot take for each other. In Jesus’ name, amen.