I will be sharing the first 7 chapters of my e-book, Leave Nothing Undone: 13 Key Lessons from the Life of Joshua. In the next episode, I’ll be sharing the last 6 chapters.
I you want to get the eibook for your Kindle app or device, you can get it here:
If you are reading this, there are a couple assumptions that I am making:
- You are a person of faith. This is, after all, a book that is examining Joshua in Scripture.
- You are someone that wants to accomplish more.
- You are someone that wants to achieve true, lasting success.
- You are someone hasn’t quite been able to make it work yet.
A Great Example to Follow
One of the greatest examples of a truly successful life we have in Scripture is Joshua. Throughout Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, Joshua is described as Moses’ minister. He was always following the example and leadership of Moses, the man God appointed to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt and into Canaan. Joshua was then chosen to succeed Moses as the new leader of Israel and bring them into the Promised Land.
Joshua was not chosen because of a royal lineage or his status in nobility. He had neither of these. He was chosen, I believe because of some very key character qualities that he had. And these characteristics brought God’s blessing and success in his life – and in the lives of those around him.
As we look at his life, there is an awesome statement said about him in the middle of the book of Joshua. This statement is the basis of this book:
“As the Lord commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.” (Joshua 11:15)
Notice that part I put in bold: “he left nothing undone.” This was not his assessment. Neither was it the assessment of his peers. This is the observation that God made and recorded for us. Joshua’s testimony was that of accomplishing everything that he was supposed to do.
As we look at this thought of “leaving nothing undone,” I am not suggesting that you can do everything that you want to do or everything that others want you to do. I am saying that when you find what God wants you to do, develop the right character, and work in God’s strength; you can do everything that God wants you to do.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Here’s an interesting side-thought. Notice the last part of Joshua 11:15: “he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses.” The things that Joshua had to accomplish were not an original task! Moses did not complete his job, so the job was passed on to Joshua. Don’t get discouraged if it seems that your tasks are common or mundane. God has things that need to get done and, with God, nothing is a small task.
My first job was at a Mexican restaurant. I just turned 14, so I was limited in the things I could do. I started as a busboy and dishwasher. Many times, I had the feeling of not being significant in the company: I was just a busboy and dishwasher. But, think about it. When was the last time that you went to a restaurant and was glad to sit at a dirty table and have forks with dried food on it? I started to realize that even I had an important role.
The Keys to Unlocking the Door
In this book, I have taken 13 key lessons based on Joshua’s life and expound upon them. As I began to outline these, the first several began with a “p”; then I felt inclined to continue the trend. I had a list of twenty-some characteristics that I felt led to Joshua’s success. I narrowed the list to the 13 included here.
The 13 key lessons in this book are:
- Priorities
- Purpose
- Personal Accountability
- Principles
- Preparation
- Potential
- Parchments
- Prayer
- Patience
- Perception
- Praise
- Present
- Perseverance
I start with priorities and purpose intentionally. The other lessons hinge on these two. If you don’t have your priorities right, you won’t be able to accomplish what you need. It doesn’t happen by accident. You also need to discover your purpose. And this is a direction rather than a destination.
The last lesson, perseverance, is an encouragement for you to keep going. Don’t give up. Don’t faint. Don’t quit. Too many people stop just short of victory. They end in defeat and become discouraged. They discourage others. Others stop. Change that now! Victors continue on. They encourage others to push through.
Each of these lessons is important. Take each one, read it, implement it, and work on mastering it.
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