“Just as the LORD had commanded Moses His servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded Moses.” (Joshua 11:15)
Five times the LORD had told Joshua to be “strong and courageous” as He prepared him for leadership. There would be hard and bloody days ahead – days which test men’s souls. Joshua would need to remember he was not alone.
And Joshua did. Joshua held the line, fought the battles, and kept the trust with His God. There is no greater eulogy to a life than verse 15: “he left nothing undone of all that the LORD had commanded…”
But that was Joshua’s commendation, not the rest of the nation’s. The rest of the nation would fail to drive out all the pagan tribes – they would leave them as snares and traps for future generations. Joshua was a great leader, but great leadership does not mean everyone follows.
The moral of the story is that we stand alone in our legacy. You have no say in the faithfulness of others. You can’t do anyone else’s job for them, but you can make sure that your tasks are not “left undone”. Don’t wait for others to lead, and certainly don’t wait for others to follow. Go alone if that is what is needed. And so often, that is EXACTLY what is needed.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites
This Week’s Reading: Joshua 7-14; Psalm 24; Proverbs 24 This year, #Biblebites are looking at lessons from the history of the Old Testament. Each week reads a section of history with a Psalm to meditate on and a dash of Proverbs to dwell upon. If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2024-vision