Day 15 of 90 - Deut. 28:15-Joshua 6

On DAY 15, we read Deuteronomy 28:15 - Joshua 6, and there were so many poignant lessons and themes in our reading. But the scripture that really spoke to me in this current chapter of my life, was Joshua 4:4 “So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe.” I realized that Moses led Joshua for 80 years of his life. While in that season, Joshua was in the shadows. He was the underdog. He was around but he was not leading. And then, God moved him from the back of the line to the front of the line. But it doesn’t happen instantaneously. It happens when he is almost 90 years old. And, while we haven’t gotten to the part that speaks of Joshua’s death, he dies at 110 years old, which means he stood in the shadows much longer than he led on the frontline. It made me ask the question: can we stand the waiting period? Many people want to lead, but a lot of people have moved prematurely. And I believe that Joshua learned what to do and what not to do by watching Moses, and following his leadership. 

I also noticed how Joshua didn’t use the same leaders Moses used when he stepped into leadership. Instead, according to Joshua 4:4, he picked and appointed twelve new men one from each tribe, and those became his core team. As I read that, I wondered how many of us are trying to lead like Joshua but we are still trying to use Moses’s team? I wonder if God is trying to challenge us to see the importance of selecting a team that has your heart, without trying to force people to do what they “used to do” in another administration. If you think about it, the same happens in this country. When a new president takes office, he selects his cabinet and they become his team. How hard would it be to use an old team for a new vision? Yet, many of us spend so much time exhausting ourselves with the task of breathing new life into people who don’t see the promise the way God showed it to you. So leaders, entrepreneurs, pray for God to send a new team. Don’t beat yourself up. Maybe the issue isn’t the vision; maybe the issue is the team.