Joshua

Ex 33:11

The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.

If you had been a trainee under the leadership of Moses, you would’ve learned about humility before God. You would’ve learned how to drop everything and act promptly in obedience to God. You would’ve learned that there is one thing that has to come before everything else you value. That one thing is time spent alone with God.

Joshua knew about a serious relationship with God when Moses spoke to Pharaoh and plagues came over the land. He knew enough to step away from the crowd so he could be a leader and not a follower. In Exodus 32:17 we read that Joshua wasn’t with the golden calf worshippers, but he thought the people sounded like war. In chapter fourteen of the book of Numbers, we read that all but two of the explorers of the land flowing with milk and honey treated God with contempt. The only explorers who gave a good report about the land and the only explorers who would return to that land were Joshua and Caleb. Joshua knew to make up his own mind and follow God.

After Moses died, Joshua was called upon to take the lead in his place.  In the first chapter of the book of Joshua, God told Joshua to be strong and courageous for there would be battles ahead. Joshua knew from his years coming out of Egypt that God would be responsible for their victories. God would supply them with everything they needed, whether food or battle strategies. All Joshua had to do was obey God.

In Joshua 24:29, we read that Joshua died at age 110 after charging his people with (24:14), “choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, …But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” He wasn’t content to die knowing his life had been spent serving God. He wanted to share his one thing, the one thing he valued most, with his family and friends.

Joshua urged his community to always treasure that special time with God because without it they would be lost. A life of serving and honoring God was what Joshua wanted to pass down, not just to his kids or his community, but to future generations.

What will your kids inherit from you? What’s your one thing?