Listen to today’s devo!

“Look at the land with your own eyes, since you are not going to cross this Jordan.” (Deut. 3:28)

Expanded Passage: Deuteronomy 3:23-29

Perhaps North Americans especially suffer from the disease of entitlement. We believe we deserve a bigger house, a nicer car, better vacations, and, of course, endless youth and beauty. These expectations are largely ridiculous. The truth is, we deserve very little. Sometimes hard work and commitment yields favorable results. At times, however, results are evasive. Instead of seeing the fruit of our labor, we are left planting seeds. Parents plant seeds. Teachers plant seeds. Leaders of all sorts plant seeds. Many times, that is enough.

Many hard workers are entitlement-averse. They long to see the fruit of their labor but resist asking God for that blessing. But even though God had already told Moses that he would not enter the Promised Land, Moses asked anyway. Graciously, God answered: No, but yes. Moses would not enter, but he would see the Promised Land. He would see but not taste the fruit. Significantly, Moses was tasked with preparing Joshua to be the caretaker of Israel.

This is leadership. It is planting seeds. It is asking God to bring forth a harvest, then being content to let others see it. And this is God’s mercy: though he would not allow Moses to cross to the Promised Land, he would allow him the peace of knowing his faithful toiling was not fruitless.

Ask for God’s blessing, and then be content with his answer.

Dalene Fisher is a full-time wife, mother, and grandma. She is a former associate professor of English, dean, and assistant provost at Oklahoma Wesleyan University (OK).

© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.