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Numbers 27:12-23 – Praying through the Bible #55 – A Prayer for Those Left Behind
Leaving is never easy, especially when being replaced. Can it be difficult to pray for those replacing us? Depends on how and why we are being supplanted; on how much we love and care for those left behind. There are many reasons for parting; some good, some bad, some inevitable, some out of choice. Sometimes people leave us, don’t include us. That can hurt. Can it be difficult to pray when we are no longer needed? Anytime leaving is involved, the heart can hurt, haunted by “why?” or “why me?” Another haunting question is “what if.” As a friend said, “’What if’s’ can kill you.” When the heart is hurting, when leaving is inevitable, prayer is a salving answer.
Moses is about to leave Israel, instead of leading Israel into the Promise Land. God says, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range and see the land that I have given the Israelites. After you have seen it, you will be gathered to your people as Aaron your brother was” (Nm 27.12-13). Bluntly, God says, “Moses, you are no longer needed.” God says, “It is time to go, time to die.” Are we ever ready to die? Are we ever ready to not be needed? Moses is 120, and not ready to give up. Moses had unfinished business; but God says he is finished. Leaving leads Moses to pray.
Leaving is never easy, especially when concerned for those left behind. Leaving because of our sins makes it harder. When permanent, the impact is deeper. Guilt is a plague only prayer can heal. Love makes it easier. No doubt many husbands and wives, after spending the majority of their time living and loving one another, would not object to living less than one more day without the other. They are ready to leave. The many they leave behind are not so ready. Leaving leads people to pray.
When leaving is inevitable, pray like Moses. “So Moses appealed to the LORD, ‘May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the community who will go out before them and come back in before them, and who bring them out and bring them in, so that the LORD’s community won’t be like sheep without a shepherd” (Nm 27.15-17). Moses sees life beyond himself. God replaces Moses with Joshua (Nm 27.18-23).
Leaving because of one mistake that ruins a life, ending a dream, and destroys loved ones is far too common. Fathers or mothers leave children because of their selfishness, divorce killing the family. Out of greed or desperation, employees make a grievous error; so serious and on purpose, they are fired; and their families suffer. People get left behind because of sin. Moses is about to leave people he loves because of his sin. About the best thing we can say about leaving is, it leads to prayer.
Prayer Challenge: Living is preparing to leave. Pray for those to whom God has given us responsibility. Pray they will be ready when God says you are ready to leave. Pray they will pray for their hurting heart.
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