The Gospel is the Only Way – June 14, 2026

One key truth: Jesus gets all the glory.

Moses said to the Lord, “May the LORD, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.”

So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence.
Numbers 27:15-19

The Gospel is the Only Way

Grant was really going through it. He couldn’t seem to get himself out of the funk that he was in. Everywhere he turned, everything he did—it all seemed like disappointment was following right behind him. He made the team, but he didn’t play very much. Others were much better. He was passing chemistry, but just barely. Others seemed to understand covalent bonds with ease. He had friends, but he never seemed to get invited to parties or hangouts and people rarely ever liked or commented on his Instagram posts.

Grant wanted so badly to accomplish cool things, to be appreciated and liked, and to be something special. Honestly, he felt invisible sometimes. But most of the time, Grant felt like he would never be enough.

Maybe you know that feeling too. You scroll through social media and everyone else seems happier, funnier, smarter, better looking, more athletic, or more popular. Meanwhile, you’re just trying to survive another week of school.

Many years ago, Moses was really going through it, too. He had such a difficult task in leading the stubborn, whiny, complaining Israelites out of Egypt to the Promised Land! He already didn’t think he was good enough to do it when God called him. But then there were so many of them—perhaps around two million people! And then they started complaining and rebelling! It was incredibly tiring and frustrating!

Imagine trying to lead a giant group project where literally nobody listens to you—and then multiply that by a million.

One time Moses disobeyed God and did a little of his own rebelling. Instead of speaking to a rock to make it bring forth water, he struck it with his staff. That may seem like no big deal, but Moses was being defiant. He was reacting in frustration and anger. He was taking matters into his own hands. He was doing things his own way, because God’s way didn’t seem to be going so well.

And honestly? We do the same thing.

When life gets frustrating, we stop trusting God and start trusting ourselves instead. We think: “I’ll handle this my way.”

Sadly, as a result, the consequence Moses received was that he would not be the one to lead the people into the Promised Land. That’s where Joshua enters the scene. He would be the Lord’s newly anointed one to lead them to the Promised Land. And here’s a fascinating note about that: Joshua’s name means The Lord is salvation and is also related to the name Jesus. Thus, God used this situation as a shadow for the future—for Jesus who is the ultimate anointed leader, the Savior who leads us to the promised land of heaven!

Moses had to learn a difficult lesson. When we try to achieve or accomplish things on our own it’s never going to end well. Putting this in Bible terms we might say that doing things by the law and by works will never accomplish anything. We need to rely on God’s grace and promises as revealed to us in the gospel and then follow God’s ways for our lives.

Grant needed to learn this lesson, too. Everything he was chasing for a sense of worth and value revolved around what he did or accomplished in high school. But that will never work for anyone. You will always fall short. You will never be good enough simply by what you do.

Your grades won’t save you. Your popularity won’t save you. Your followers won’t save you. Your talent won’t save you. Even being “better than other people” won’t save you.

Thankfully, Moses and Grant—and you and I—have a Savior who was enough. Jesus is the perfect Son of God who lived and died for us and rose triumphant from the dead so that we could be delivered to the promised land.

Because of Jesus, you do have worth and value. Not because of your achievements. Not because people notice you. Not because you never fail. You are enough!

So set aside all your empty works of the law and shallow things of this world and let your hope rest securely in the good news of the gospel. Jesus is your salvation and he will lead you to the promised land of heaven!

And unlike popularity, sports, grades, or social media—Jesus will never let you down.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, there are so many times that I put my focus on things that I do. Who I am, what I’ve accomplished, and what people think of me often become too important. Help me to remember that it’s not about what I’ve done but rather about what Jesus has done for me. Not to me, but only to you be the glory now and forever! Amen.