Joshua 19:49-50 -
When they had finished dividing the land into its
allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among
them, as the Lord had commanded. They gave
him the town he asked for—Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim.
And he built up the town and settled there.
After all the tribes had been given their allotments…Joshua was
given a portion from among their lots. It
was not a gift of the tribes...but a command of God to be sure that Joshua also
received a portion of the promised land. He waited till all of the lots had
been cast to let them know what piece of land he thought would be good for him…and
they gave it to him without question.
As I researched the commentaries…trying to dig deeper for
meaning and understanding…I read so many thoughts of how this was just one more
example of Joshua’s humility and servant mindset. He knew that God would provide for him and
his family…he wanted to make sure that everyone else was taken care of first.
His humility is a great reminder to me of how important it
is to build and use daily this character trait that the word sometimes perceives
as a weakness. There is nothing weak about choosing to be last. In fact…God
builds power through any form of humility…especially if it is intentional. Joshua
Becker…good name huh….wrote in his article “The Hidden Power Of Humility”… “Humility
is the act of being modest, reverential, even politely submissive. It is the
opposite of aggression, arrogance, pride, and vanity. And on the surface, it
appears to empty its holder of all power. But on the contrary, it grants
enormous power to its owner. (his boldface...not mine) Humility offers its
owner complete freedom from the desire to impress, be right, or get ahead.
Frustrations and losses have less impact on a humble ego and a humble person
confidently receives opportunity to grow, improve, and reject society‘s labels.
A humble life results in contentment, patience, forgiveness, and
compassion.”
The whole world needs a dose of this great power…I’m
thinking it could just be the answer to world peace. I sure needed the reminder to strive to let
humility override many of the selfish decisions I make each day. The more selfless
I become the more God can use me. Proverbs 11:2 says … “When pride comes, then comes
disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”
James 4:10 says “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you
up.” And let’s not forget 2 Chronicles 7:14…which says… “If my people, who are
called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn
from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their
sin and will heal their land.”
Father…thank you for the reminder that you consider humility
one of the best character traits I can have. Forgive for the times that I have
let the world rob me of the many chances you have provided for me to grow in
this mindset. Help me to recognize these moments...and ask you to hold my hand
as you teach me your pure form of humbleness.
Then help me to listen to your prodding’s of when to use it to bring
more glory to you. Amen.
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