OCTOBER 12, Joshua 23:1, 2 

In Joshua 1, God told Joshua to be strong and of good courage when he assumed leadership of the Israelites. Joshua was faithful to the end and as we come to the close of this book, we read in today’s scripture text that Joshua was now an old man. He had been successful in occupying the major cities in the Promised Land. Although there were still pockets of resistance, the major battles have been fought and won.

He called for the leaders and elders and gave them a farewell message. In this message, did he talk about his achievements and how great a leader he had been? Was he boasting of how wonderful a General and leader he was to the people? Not at all. Joshua made no mention of himself, but pointed them to the Lord, and how God was the power behind their conquest of the Promised Land. In such a great leader, we see profound humility. That is surely something we can learn today!

If we were to ask your friends and your parents whether you are a humble child, what do you think the answer would be? Dear child, humility is one of the most important though least sought-after trait a Christian should have.

Perhaps one reason for Joshua’s humility was that he remembered the meaning of his name – “Jehovah is salvation”. He remembered that it was God who saved and enabled, and thus, he should not have any desire to aim for self glory of any sort.

While Joshua is a wonderful example of humility, the best example is Jesus. He, as King of kings, came to suffer humiliation, betrayal, and a terrible death on the cross. Philippians 2:5-8 sum it up well: Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Thought: May I be a humble child.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me learn to be a humble child and to remember that all that I have and am comes from You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.