This week as we honor those veterans who have served, my heart is overwhelmed with gratitude.  I am so honored and proud of those who have served our country.   Hundreds of thousands have bravely fought and served since our country was formed.

The sacrifices of these brave men and women are not to be diminished.  They left their homes and their families behind to fight for a cause bigger than themselves.  

Because of their sacrifice, I can still live and worship freely in this country.

I am reminded of another brave veteran in the Bible….Joshua.

Joshua was handed the mantle of leadership after the death of Moses.  He was given the  difficult task of leading Israel into the promised land.  But they weren’t just going to walk into the land and start living.  The people of Israel had to fight for it and take the land little by little.  

And they learned a lot of hard lessons along the way.   

After their first battle at Jericho, one of the men in Israel’s army disobeyed God and took plunder from Jericho when Israel was specifically told not to. 

As they went on to battle the next city, one that should have been a quick and easy win, instead turned into a humiliating defeat.  God was not happy with their disobedience and he allowed them to experience this loss.

Joshua had the difficult task of dealing with this sin swiftly and decisively.  It was not easy, but once it was dealt with they had many military victories because Joshua obeyed God’s commandments and  gave God the glory in the process.

Joshua saw many successes as Israel took hold of the promised land.  The scripture says that God even gave Israel rest from their enemies around them.  And as the book of Joshua comes to a close, we see a wiser and older Joshua reminding the people that it was God who fought for them and gave them this land as an inheritance.  He charged them to trust God and to be careful to obey all of his commandments.  And if so they would find success in whatever they did.  He famously asks Israel to “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

Joshua bravely served and led the armies of Israel during a difficult and unknown time.  He didn’t know what was ahead or what enemies he would face, but Joshua knew that if he listened to God and obeyed his commands, he would lead God’s people to victory.

Joshua’s life serves as an example to me that I must do my part in gaining victory in my own life.  But also, if I stay close to the Lord and obey his commands, He will go with me and give me what I need to be successful.