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Then I said to you, \u201cDo not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place\u201d (Deuteronomy 1:29-31).

It used to be that on the first day of my work week, I needed to pick the texts for the following Sunday\u2019s sermons. In those moments the Bible seemed like a very big book. I did not enjoy that exercise. Some years ago, I learned that it was much simpler to prepare a series or to use the Common Lectionary. The same thing has been true with these Wilderness Wanderings. I had made no plans for post-vacation.

So, let\u2019s spend some time together the book of Deuteronomy. It\u2019s a series of sermons or lectures Moses gave to Israel before he died. His intention was to help God\u2019s people to finally live in the Promised Land. Hopefully, we are exiting the wilderness of COVID-19 and Deuteronomy might have some wisdom for us as we immerge into a new normal. Its not that we are going into the Promised Land, in fact, our road still seems quite uncertain.

Uncertainty tends to breed fear. Our text for today addresses this reality. A whole generation of Israelites have travelled in the wilderness. It\u2019s the only home they knew. Travelling the wilderness was their way of life. There was security in the familiar. Now they had to go fight enemies and settle down in cities.

Moses begins by reminding them of the last time Israel had stood at the doorstep of the promised land. Their parents had been afraid too. They could not overcome their fear. As Moses tells this story he is essentially saying, \u201cDon\u2019t be like your parents, living in fear; trust the Lord.\u201d

What I find interesting is the way Moses encourages Israel to overcome her fear. We might think a really dazzling sermon on trust would do the trick, or maybe a dramatic children\u2019s story. But none of that for Moses.

Instead, he tells Israel to remember. Remember how God fought for them in Egypt, leaving Pharoah impotent to stop Israel\u2019s departure. Remember how God carried Israel through the desert like a parent carries a child.

This is the key to overcoming fear, to see God, to remember. The God who led them this far is going ahead of them into the promised land. He will settle them in green pastures and beside still waters. I think Jesus took up Moses\u2019 mantra when he told his disciples to consider the birds and the flowers and the grass. Look at what God does. Look how God cares for them. How much more will he not care for us?

Yes. The future is quite uncertain. There is plenty of reason to be afraid. We can look at all the obstacles. We can look at all the unknowns. But Moses and Jesus both encourage us to look to God and remember what he has done. He has been with his people since the beginning, there is no need to fear he will abandon us now.

I\u2019m reminded of a quote I tucked away long ago, \u201cI am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath--these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely--these are my native air\u201d (Dr. E. Stanley Jones, Transformed by Thorns).