Today’s reading: Joshua 5:13-15
Although I had intended to move on to Joshua 6 today, I was drawn back to the last couple of verses of chapter 5 again this morning because of Joshua’s example. Despite being a “newbie” in the head leadership role for the Israelites, Joshua’s response to encountering the “commander of the army of the LORD” reveals much about the strength of his leadership (vs. 14). It contains some good lessons for us about facing, encountering, and responding to unexpected and/or difficult situations.
Joshua wasn’t expecting to meet this man and had no idea who he was. As such, the encounter had to have been startling as well as potentially dangerous, especially since the man was armed with a drawn sword. Yet Joshua handles the situation well and wisely. Here are some of the things I noticed:
- He stays calm.
- He stands his ground instead of turning and fleeing.
- He doesn’t jump to any conclusions about the man.
- He investigates the situation, seeking truth by asking direct questions.
- He listens to the man’s responses.
- He’s discerning about what he hears and takes action accordingly.
Unexpected circumstances crop up all the time. The good ones aren’t typically a problem, but when the unexpected comes in the form of a difficulty—job loss, bad health report, death of a family member or friend, unplanned repair bills—being able to respond well on the front end can make a huge, positive difference down the road.
Joshua’s example in this less than optimal situation was good, and what stood out most prominently to me was how he stayed calm and didn’t jump to any conclusions. Speaking from experience, so often when the unexpected happens, our emotions kick in and we start to panic. Once that happens, our minds race to all the “what if” situations, and more often than not, things typically go downhill quickly from there.
Did you notice anything from Joshua’s example that I didn’t list above? What stood out to you most from Joshua’s example, and why? Tami
Source: Tami’s Blog
