GetWisdom PaperturnSampler FINAL SinglePages - Flipbook - Page 16
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WEEK 1
DAY 3
Read
Joshua 2
As leaders, many times we will find ourselves going against status quo. We’ll face moments where
we’ll need to hold our ground, though people might shun us. We’ve seen this happen in movies.
We’ve read it in books. Maybe we’ve even been that person, the one who grits their teeth and
presses on even when friends, coworkers, or family disagree—because light needs to be shed on
truth, because it’s the right thing to do.
We’re not talking about arrogance here. This is a grave discernment process. When we lead
well, we’ll very likely come to places where we must stick a flag into the ground because it’s the
right thing to do. Often listening to the wisdom of others is the best thing we can do, but leading
means also being willing to stand against majority opinion as we prayerfully align with God’s
Word and promptings.
Many years prior to becoming leader of the Israelites, Joshua was put into this position.
Numbers 13–14 recounts the story: God requested that Moses send out twelve men to secretly
scout out the land in which He was giving them. Moses instructed them,
Go up through the Negev and then into the hill country. Look the land over, see what it is
like. Assess the people: Are they strong or weak? Are there few or many? Observe the
land: Is it pleasant or harsh? Describe the towns where they live: Are they open camps or
fortified with walls? And the soil: Is it fertile or barren? Are there forests? And try to bring
back a sample of the produce that grows there—this is the season for the first ripe grapes.
(Numbers 13:17-20, MSG)
What these men discovered was that the land was, indeed, full of “milk and honey,” just as God
had promised (Exodus 3:8). But they also discovered something else: that the land was inhabited,
and the people there were strong and powerful (Numbers 13:25-33). Only Caleb stood against the
tide of opinion, advocating for the people to continue into the promised land (Numbers 13:30).
Flip over to Numbers 14:1-5. What happened next?
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