MARCH 23, 2026

 

“A great man is always willing to be little.” 

 Ralph Waldo Emerson

JOSHUA 9-10

40So Joshua conquered the whole region—the hill country, the Negev, the foothills,f and the slopes, together with all their kings—leaving no survivors. He devoted to destruction everything that breathed, just as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded. 41Joshua conquered the area from Kadesh-barnea to Gaza, and the whole region of Goshen as far as Gibeon.

42And because the LORD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel, Joshua captured all these kings and their land in one campaign. 43Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.

LUKE 3

9The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

11John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

12Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

13“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

14Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

JOURNAL

Joshua’s conquest is hard for me to process. Entire cities wiped out, men, women, and children. It feels brutal and unsettling. Then I read John’s words calling people to generosity, honesty, and fairness, and I wonder how both of these can exist under the command of the same God. It has always been something I wrestle with, and I think that is okay. My understanding is not complete, but my trust in God remains. I still believe He is good, that He is love, and that His ways are right even when I cannot fully reconcile them.

I keep coming back to the idea of relationship and perspective. A parent does not interact with a two-year-old the same way they do with a twelve-year-old or an adult child. The parent has not changed, but the relationship has, and the needs of the child are different in each stage. Maybe that helps explain some of what we see. God meets people where they are, within specific moments in history, culture, and maturity. It does not make everything simple, but it gives me a framework to keep trusting even when I do not fully understand.

There is something deeply humbling about the fact that God chose to step into humanity, to meet us in our mess, and to relate to us in a way we can begin to grasp. The image of a father is only a glimpse, but it reminds me that His actions are rooted in something far deeper than what I can see on the surface.

What stands out most to me is Jesus. He did not spend His time promoting Himself. His focus was on others, on their needs, on serving and loving. When He did speak about Himself, He spoke truthfully and without excuse. That is such a clear example for me. Live with a quiet humility. Do not make life about drawing attention to myself. If I have to speak, let it be honest and without justification. Use the moments I have to love people well, to serve, and to bring something good and eternal into the world around me.

It really comes down to this. Be willing to be small. Be honest. Love others. And trust that God is who He says He is, even when I do not have every answer.

6Who, being in very nature^a God,did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;7rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature^b of a servant,being made in human likeness.8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!  

Philippians 2:6-8