The Lord said to Moses, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said ‘I will give it to your descendants. I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.” And Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in Moab, as the Lord had said.” (Deuteronomy 34:4-5)

This scene is the end of Moses’ life, and he leaves an incredible legacy hanging over the millions of people who had followed him. Moses climbs this mountain, where he would see the land that God’s people would one day inhabit – but he would never make it there himself. This is partly because of his disobedience earlier and in part, this was just God’s plan.

Moses had spent about a third of his life pursuing God’s call to rescue His people from captivity and lead them to the promised land. But he never saw God’s people enter it. He never saw the arrival of the promised Messiah thousands of years later. He never knew the outcome of his faith, and he dies with just a snapshot of what God might do next. I think he dies at peace with God’s purposes, knowing he made a difference. If you read on, I love the fact that God ‘buries’ this man himself – what a reward for being faithful to God’s purposes!

Moses never saw the result of all his life might accomplish for God, but he lived each day in faith ‘optimistically’ dreaming about what God might do in future. He set the example and the standard for the next generation – to follow God whole-heartedly long after he’d gone.

Can I suggest that as the church, we need to adopt the same mindset. We faithfully give everything we have in the service of the God who loved us, sent His Son to rescue us from sin and death and welcome us into his Kingdom. We live knowing that God has a plan not just for today, but also into glorious eternity that we are part of. We might not see what comes after us in this world, but we set the example for those following us.

Let’s lead, love, serve, give, sacrifice for and invest in the next generation of our families and church that will come after us. We build the foundations today that helps others follow Jesus in the days ahead. We get busy making His church the best it can be, praying and always extending the hope of Christ to one more person. We might never see all that God has planned, but what if He wanted to use the next generation to accomplish something even greater for His kingdom than we saw? What if our actions today have eternal consequences?

Live with intent and purpose – because we know how the journey of life ultimately ends.

“Dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)