Joshua 1:1–2 (Contemporary English Version)
“My servant Moses is dead… now get up and cross over”
A new beginning after loss
Maybe you recognize this feeling. Something ends. Someone is gone. A familiar season closes. And you are left with the question:
how do I go on now?
That is exactly where Joshua finds himself. Moses, the leader, the one who carried everything, is no longer there. Suddenly Joshua stands in a place he did not choose for himself.
And then God speaks.
Not with a long explanation, but with a clear direction:
get up… and move forward.
Historical background
This moment takes place after Israëls time in the wilderness. For forty years Moses led the people. He brought them out of Egypt, gave the law, stood between God and the people.
But now Moses has died.
The people are standing at the edge of the promised land, by the Jordan River. The journey is not finished. The promise lies ahead of them, but someone must take the next step.
God chooses Joshua.
Not because he is perfect, but because he is available.
What this means for you
Sometimes life feels the same. Something falls away — a person, a certainty, a role. In the church, a leader may leave, a familiar group may change. In society, work may shift, relationships may change.
And then comes that quiet question:
can I really go on?
God’s answer to Joshua is also an encouragement for you:
you do not have to understand everything in order to take a step.
He does not say: feel strong.
He says: get up.
Examples close to home
In the church, you see it when a pastor leaves. People feel uncertain. Who will take over? What will happen? Yet there is always someone who rises, sometimes hesitantly, but led.
In everyday life, you see it in someone who must learn to live again after loss. Not because it is easy, but because life continues.
God often works not despite such moments, but through them.
Encouragement for today
What God says to Joshua is simple but powerful:
the past is over… but My promise remains.
You do not have to see everything clearly. You only need to take the next step.
Not alone. But with Him.
Final thought
Maybe you are also standing at a boundary. Not literally by a river, but at a moment where something new begins.
Then that same voice sounds, calm but clear:
My servant Moses is dead…
but you, get up.
Not because you can do everything,
but because I go with you.
And that is enough to move forward.