“Joshua was now old, advanced in age, and the Lord said to him, ‘You have become old, advanced in age, but a great deal of the land remains to be possessed.’” – Joshua 13:1

When it comes to the conquest of the Promised Land, the first person we think of is Joshua. We think of stories like the walls of Jericho tumbling down or the sun standing still as the Israelites fought the five Amorite kings. But what we often forget is that after Joshua was too old to lead, there were still battles to be fought. As we continue to read the account, we find that each tribe tried to continue the conquest and take the land God allotted to them, but it did not go so well. The book of Judges records failure after failure as no good leader could be found.

Often times, modern churches struggle for the same reason. Wonderful people are in place who sacrifice a great deal and work incredibly hard. Many of you have been those people. But you must understand that the day will come, or may have already come, when you are well advanced in years and yet, there is still a great amount of work to be done. Who will fight the battles when you can’t? Who will continue the work you have started? If you are currently serving in the Church, you must be looking to find those who you raise up to lead when you are gone. Otherwise, there will be no one left to fight the battles…and if you are not serving in the Church, get to work! Souls hang in the balance!

Heavenly Father and Almighty God, give us a long-term vision for Your ministry. Let us be concerned for the victory of Your Church long after we are gone. Teach us to not only serve, but to raise up those who will serve in our place when the time comes for us to step down.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon