Daily Devotional

“After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: ‘Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them’ ” (Joshua 1:1, 2). 

The European migrant crisis was unlike any other movement of humanity in history. Beginning in 2015, a rising number of refugees sought asylum in the European Union. Traveling through Southeast Europe or across the Mediterranean Sea, most came from Syria, Afghani- stan, and Iraq. A record number of deaths at sea took place in April 2015, when five boats carrying two thousand migrants sank and more than 1,200 lost their lives. 

The shipwrecks happened at a time when conflicts forcibly displaced nearly 60 million, the highest level since World War II. Thousands of desperate migrants risked their lives boarding these unsafe boats. Most were fleeing poverty-stricken homes and war-torn countries. The deadliest mi- grant route ran from Libya to Lampedusa, a large southern Italian island. 

When God called Joshua to lead the Israelites into Canaan, he faced more than enemy soldiers. The entire nation was to cross the flooding Jordan River. It practically would be suicide to lead men, women, and children through the swift waters. But the Lord had commanded them to move forward, and their courageous leader obeyed. 

As He did with the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, God stopped the flowing river so the people of Israel could safely migrate to the other side. There was no need for boats. Nobody drowned. God protected everyone, just as he had promised Joshua. 

The new leader of Israel was well suited for his mission to guide God’s people into the Promised Land. He was courageous, bold, and determined. Most of all, he trusted the Lord even when circumstances were risky. 

Dear Jesus, You are my Joshua. Today, I choose to follow You into the unknown, knowing I can trust You.