20/04/2011 - Do honor your Captain!

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“Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, “Who shall be first to go up for us against the Canaanites to fight against them?” (Judges 1:1)

Our ministry ends when our life comes to an end, but the work of the Lord must carry on. The children of Israel honored their leader until his death and prayed to the Most High so that his position would be soon taken by someone of His choice. It happened because they knew they had to fight for the divine project to continue because it actually never stops; not even when its leader dies.

When a servant of God in charge of the execution of His work passes away and is taken into the Garden of the Lord, his ministry is over. Then, his family mustn’t fall into the temptation of thinking that the duty performed by the deceased was some kind of material asset such as, for instance, a farm that should be inherited by them. It doesn’t matter whether that servant of God was called to start a certain mission or to keep it up – that’s something very personal and it’s the Most High who elects the person to take over its command. What happened after Moses’ death illustrates it very well: though he had two children (Gershom and Eliezer) none of them entertained the thought of becoming the successor of their father in the task assigned to him by the Eternal One.

Something similar happened to Joshua: the children of Israel honored him while he was alive and we’ve never heard of an organized riot to oust the chosen of the Lord. On the contrary, they accepted him as an ambassador of the Most High. In so doing, they were able to win the battles they fought.  Perhaps the Israelites were taught a lesson with the rebellion against Moses and the judgement the Lord performed by destroying the rebellious. Listen! No one should point fingers against those who’ve been separated to carry out God’s plan because the Almighty is the One that goes before them.

We must never accept that there is someone in our midst who wants his will to prevail by making politics, whether overtly or covertly, in order to be chosen. Actually, what we must do is pray to God and ask for His direction. By all means, it’s not good to take from our Supreme Commander the prerogative to elect the head of His people.

The Israelites knew they had to continue the work of God which will be completed at the coming of Jesus. No matter the position we’re assigned by Him: we must say “yes” to His calling: whether it is the leadership or any other position. That’s why it’s not right to make your wish similar to the children of Zebedee’s: they wanted to sit on the right and left hand of Master (Mark 10:32–45). Even their mother attempted to intervene on behalf of her children, but Jesus convinced them to give up: the leader is fruit of His choice, not of pleading.

After the leader’s death, the Lord will raise another one and we must keep on serving our Master with love, dedication and respect along with the elected one. When we carry on doing what we’ve been told, my brethren, besides being rewarding and honorable, we’re demonstrating we’re faithful and loyal to our Father. So, those who are doing their job must know that there’s an army of angels around them and the size of that battalion depends on what will be needed to accomplish such mission. So, don’t worry, your task was carefully planned by the Supreme Captain.

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares