Is it possible to be perfect? Well, how do you define “perfect”? It is not possible to be perfectly sinless. But it is possible to earn a perfect score on a test, right? Is anyone in the Bible perfect? God’s word never hides the flaws of God’s people: Moses was angry, Joseph was spoiled, Noah drank, David had Bathsheba, Peter was impetuous, Thomas had doubts, Paul had been a persecutor.
Still, there are some perfect times. One of those was Joshua’s conquest of the Promised Land. This man was over 80 years old who had never been a soldier, but he led an untrained army into numerous battles. Though many who followed Joshua would be afraid and lose heart, or would simply be too passive to bother fighting, Joshua obeyed God. Guess how many kings the non-king Joshua defeated?
Thirty-one! That is extraordinary: 31 kings with trained soldiers lost to Joshua and his misfits who had been raised by former slaves and had grown up eating manna in the wilderness. They defeated 31 kings!
“This is what Joshua did, leaving nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses…. So Joshua took the entire land, in keeping with all that the Lord had told Moses. Joshua then gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. After this, the land had rest from war.” Joshua 11:15, 23.
Isn’t that amazing? In the years to come, Israel would often be scared of its enemies and led by useless, ungodly men. But under Joshua, the nation was faithful to God and they fought with courage.
Dear God, make us leaders like Joshua. Fill us with courage! Help us to stand for your truth no matter who opposes us. Give us boldness when we face enemies and give us clear minds to understand your word. Give us a deep commitment to obedience, so that we will look to you and obey you and do what is right, rather than look at our problems and be scared into disobedience. Help us to love your word more every day.
ΑΩ
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