After all that Moses had done, he was not able to enter the Promised Land. That would be for his successor and for a younger generation. As with so much of our work, it is often others who reap the benefits or see the results, but as with Moses we should rejoice that we played a crucial role. His parting words of encouragement to Joshua and the others were simple: don't be afraid of anything - be strong and bold - God is with you. Good words - we should remember them and put them into practice daily.

Jesus did not tell us to become childish - there is far too much of that around! Being like children or childlike is something very different. Children are far from perfect but unless they have been abused and traumatized or corrupted by adults they have not yet learned to be cynical, doubting, or prejudiced. They are trusting, open to new experiences, free of arrogance and pretence, and filled with wonder and delight. In ancient society they had no status or honour to rely on so Jesus urges his followers to be the same. Welcoming a child is the same as welcoming Jesus - and the same applies with welcoming the lowliest in society. Jesus ends the story with the story of the shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to search for the one lost member of the flock. In God's eyes, no one is unimportant, excluded, or left behind. Being childlike is returning to the moment when we were first conceived in the mind and heart of God.