Day 74 - Joshua 16-18

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 74 - Joshua 16-18 (If You're a Leader, Instill Confidence in Your People)
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"But the children of Joseph said, "The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel."  And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph--to Ephraim and Manasseh--saying, "You are a great people and have great power; you shall not have only one lot, but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong."  (Joshua 17:16-18)

The two tribes of Israel, Ephraim and Manasseh, children of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt, didn't have the confidence that they will be able to drive out the inhabitants of the mountain country that Joshua was alloting to them as an additional inheritance because the lot they inherited was too confined for them. They pointed out the iron chariots of the Canaanites who dwelt there as an impossible obstacle for them. Then Joshua, the leader of Israel after Moses died, did what any good leader must do in this situation - he instilled confidence in his people, assuring them that they will be able to drive out the Canaanites because God was with them.

I am reminded of another great leader in recent history who inpired his whole country to win a seemingly impossible war against Hitler and Germany; that leader was none other than Winston Churchill.  Churchill galvanized the resolve of the British nation to win the war against Germany by intilling confidence in his people.  The same can be said about many other leaders including George Washington, Abrahan Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela.

You may be reading this and you may be saying, "But I'm not a leader."  Well, think again.  Are you a father or husband?  If you are, then you are a leader of your family and you need to be able to lead and inspire the person or person you are leading.  Failure to do so is simply too dear a price to pay.  A life lived in mediocrity is a life of tragedy not just for the leader but also for everyone whom looks to him for leadership and direction.

If you are unsure what you need to do as a leader, start by looking at the great men and women in the Bible whom God used to inspire their people into greatness and into realizing God's plan for their lives. Joshua is one great example but there are many more great leaders to learn from including King David, Samuel, Daniel, Peter, Paul, and of course, Jesus Himself.  May you be the leader God intended you to be.