10-25-26 “We May Not See the Promise, but God Is Faithful”
“We May Not See the Promise, but God Is Faithful”
I want to start with something funny. There were three sons who had left home at a young age and eventually become very wealthy. One day, they got together and began talking about the gifts they wanted to give their elderly mother.
The first son said, “I will buy Mom a big, beautiful house.” The second son said, “I will buy her a fancy car.”
Then the youngest son said, “You know, Mom loves to read the Bible, but her eyesight is not very good anymore, and she can barely read. So, I will buy her a specially trained parrot that can recite the entire Bible for her.”
A few weeks later, the sons received a letter from their mother. To the first son, she wrote, “Thank you for the beautiful house, but it is much too big for me.” To the second son, she wrote, “Thank you for the fancy car. It looks wonderful, but I cannot drive anymore.” And then she wrote to her youngest son, “Thank you for your gift. It was small and simple, but it was my favorite. The chicken you sent me was absolutely delicious!”
When I heard this story, I laughed. But it also made me think about how often we misunderstand the people we love—even our own parents. When I was growing up, I sometimes felt that my parents treated their children differently. I have four siblings, and I am right in the middle. I have an older sister, an older brother, a younger sister, and a younger brother. In my adolescent mind, my older sister was special because she was my parents’ first child. My older brother was special because he was their first son. My younger sister was special because she was the youngest daughter, and my younger brother was special because he was the youngest son.
And what about me? Sometimes, I felt as though I was the one who was left out! I would complain to my parents, asking, “Why do you treat me differently? Why don’t you love me the same way you love the others?” And my parents would tell me, “When you become a parent yourself, you will understand how much we love you.” Well, I have become an adult, and I have learned many things about life. But I still wonder whether I have ever fully understood what my parents meant.
Likewise, our faith journey is similar. Sometimes, we may also struggle to understand God. Perhaps, we never fully understand our God’s steadfast love. However, one thing we know and believe that we are saved in faith through Jesus Christ by the grace of God.
Last Sunday, I truly enjoyed listening to our lay leaders share their ministries and testimonies. They were wonderful witnesses to God’s grace. As I listened, I was reminded that ministry is not limited to the pastor. God works through every one of us—in our leadership, our service, our prayers, our generosity, and our love for our neighbors. One of our leaders said something that touched my heart: “When we come together, nothing is impossible through God’s grace.” Yes, indeed!
Thank you for your faithful ministry. And I want to thank not only those who spoke last Sunday, but every one of you who continues to serve God through this congregation. Because you are here, because you pray, because you serve, and because you care for one another, the ministry of this church continues.
And that leads me to a question I want us to think about today. Have you ever worked hard on something that you knew you might not live to see completed?
Perhaps you planted a tree in your yard, knowing that it would take many years to grow tall enough to provide shade. Perhaps you saved money for your children or grandchildren, hoping they would have opportunities you never had. Or perhaps you have given many years of your life to this church, praying that it would continue to be a place where people could encounter God’s love.
We do these things because we believe that life is about more than what we can accomplish today. We plant seeds because we hope someone will enjoy the fruit tomorrow. There is a saying often attributed to Martin Luther: “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
I love that saying because it reminds me that although we do not know what tomorrow will bring, we can still have hope. We can still plant. We can still build. We can still dream about the future God holds.
That is especially meaningful to me as I think about our churches. I remember one of our members at St. Croix Falls who dreamed of having a new church building. She had a vision for the future of her congregation and wanted to see that dream come true. A few years ago, when I visited her in the nursing home, she shared her dream with me. She said, “I wish I could see our church build a new church before I die.” She knew that she might not live long enough to see her dream fulfilled, but she continued to hold on to her hope for the church.
Later, I shared her story with our church leaders. They also had a dream for the future, although they may have wondered whether it was possible, especially considering the congregation’s aging membership and current circumstances. Perhaps they continued to carry that dream in their hearts and prayers. And now, St. Croix Falls has begun remodeling its church building! Her dream has become part of the story that continues to unfold among us today. Although she did not live to see this moment, her hope was not meaningless. Her vision helped remind us to look toward the future.
And that is what makes me think of Moses. Moses also had a journey, a calling, and a promise that extended beyond his own lifetime. Our Scripture today takes us to the final chapter of his life. After leading the Israelites through the wilderness for forty years, Moses climbs Mount Nebo. There, God shows him the Promised Land. Moses can see the land, but he will not enter it.
Imagine that moment. After all those years of leading the people, after all the struggles, prayers, disappointments, and miracles, Moses stands on the mountain and looks at the Promised Land. He can see it. But he cannot go there. What a powerful and perhaps painful moment that must have been.
If we read only this part of the story, we might wonder, “Was all of Moses’ work worth it? If he could not enter the Promised Land, did his journey end in disappointment?” “Why did he work hard for God’s people?”
But, my beloved family in Jesus Christ, we must remember that Moses’ story did not begin on Mount Nebo. And God’s story did not begin with Moses. To understand what was happening on that mountain, we need to remember the long journey of faith that brought the Israelites there.
As we have followed the Israelites’ journey through the books of Genesis and Exodus, we have seen that many generations before Moses stood on Mount Nebo, God called Abraham. God promised Abraham that He would make him into a great nation and bless him so that he could become a blessing to others. Abraham left his homeland and his father’s household, trusting God’s guidance and following God’s call. That was the beginning of the Israelites’ journey of faith.
God’s promise to make Abraham and his descendants into a great nation and a blessing to others continued through Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. Each generation had its own journey, struggles, and challenges, but throughout it all, God remained faithful to His promise.
Moses had an extraordinary journey. God called him from the burning bush. God sent him to confront Pharaoh. God led the Israelites through the Red Sea. God provided food in the wilderness and guided the people through forty years of wandering. And now, at the end of his life, Moses stands on Mount Nebo.
The Bible tells us that God showed him the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then Moses died. His life ended, but God’s promise did not end.
Listen to what happens next in verse 9: “Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him.” Moses was gone, but Joshua was ready to lead. Joshua would lead the Israelites into the Promised Land, but he would not be starting from nothing. He would be continuing the work that God had begun long before him. And God was still there.
Moses stands on the mountain. He looks across the land. He knows that his journey is coming to an end.
When we look back at our lives, we may see prayers that have not yet been answered, ministries that remain unfinished, and hopes that have not yet been fulfilled. But we can also see evidence of God’s grace: the people who have loved us, the strength that carried us through difficult days, and the opportunities God has given us to serve.
And when we look toward the future, we may not know what lies ahead. But we can continue to pray. We can continue to love. We can continue to serve. We can continue to prepare a place where the next generation will encounter God’s grace.
Therefore, let us not lose heart. Let us honor those who came before us, faithfully serve in the present, and prepare the way for those who will come after us. May the next generation look back on our congregation and say, “They trusted God. They loved their neighbors. They made room for us. And because of their faithfulness, we learned to follow Jesus.” And may we continue to be a church with open hearts, open minds, and open doors—a church that is sent to serve and sent in love. Because our story is not over. God is still at work through us.
Thanks be to God. Amen!