³⁰ ‘The LORD your God who goes before you will Himself fight on your behalf, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes, ³¹ and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.’ (Deuteronomy 1:30–31)

“Your God” was certainly Moses’ God, but he didn’t use his words casually. He was preparing the wandering nation of Israel, whom he led out of Egyptian slavery and forged into a nation, having led them for 40 years in the wilderness. It was time they embraced God for themselves, because he was not going in with them.

After Moses died, the Lord spoke to Joshua, “Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you” (Jos 1:5). God’s presence with Moses would now become His presence with Joshua. Then, tellingly, God exhorts Joshua, “Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Josh 1:9). God essentially was saying, “I am not just Moses’ God, but I am now your God.”

Now some might mock such fine distinctions as nitpicking, but an important point is to be made here. Everyone must embrace God for him or herself. Each of us needs to be able to say, “He is my God.” This is the truth behind the common saying about having a personal relationship with God. We can say, “I know Him. He is not just the God of my church leaders who tell me about Him. He is not just the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is my God.”

When we don’t grasp this, we become like Jacob when he deceived his father, Isaac, in order to steal the blessing that was rightly due his brother, Esau. When his father questioned how swiftly he had prepared the supposed wild game, Jacob revealed he had not yet come to his own relationship with God. He answered, “Because the LORD your God caused it to happen to me” (Gen 27:20).

There is a tremendous leadership lesson here. A Christian leader must never lead people to become dependent upon himself as a conduit to God. They must not rely on our faith.We must ever be training others to go to God for themselves. They must see their own relationship with the One who created them. Their strength and courage to face life’s battles can never come from someone else’s relationship to God, but through their own embrace of their Lord. Faith cannot be derived or mediated or represented. It must be original and primary with each person.

Lord, You are my God and I worship You; in You I find courage and strength.