Tag Archives: Faith

Outnumbered, Outgunned… but Not Outdone

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“One man of you puts to flight a thousand, since it is the Lord your God who fights for you, just as he promised you.” (Joshua 23:10)

There’s a strange kind of math in the kingdom of God. One man puts a thousand to flight? I’ve seen some men run a thousand yards after finding a wasp in their car, but I’ve yet to witness a solo warrior send an entire enemy brigade packing. And yet here it is in Joshua 23:10—a promise, not a proverb. A God-given reality, not just a motivational poster for the local men’s ministry.

But the point isn’t that one believer is just that impressive. The point is: the Lord is.

Joshua is giving his farewell address here. He’s no longer the sword-swinging, river-parting, Jericho-flattening commander of old. He’s gray, probably tired, and speaking like a man who knows the hourglass is nearly empty. He reminds the people of what they’ve seen: impossible victories, unlikely conquests, the sheer absurdity of walking around a city seven times and watching the walls do a spontaneous trust fall.

Why did these things happen? “Because the Lord your God fought for you.” That’s the math. That’s the power. That’s the only way one faithful follower sends a thousand foes packing.

But the verse doesn’t stand alone in a vacuum of divine comfort. It comes wrapped in covenantal cloth. In verse 6, Joshua says, “Be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses.” In other words: God will fight for you—so obey Him.

Here’s the mystery and majesty of life in Christ: we are called to act with strength and courage, to “act like men” as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 16:13—not because we are the source of strength, but because we know the One who is. It’s not a call to swagger. It’s a call to stand.

We stand because He stands with us.

We act boldly, not because we have it all together (spoiler: we don’t), but because God has bound Himself to us by promise. The same God who told Joshua, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” is the One who tells us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Yes, weakness. That’s not exactly what you put on the résumé under “Core Strengths.” But in God’s kingdom, weakness is the invitation for divine strength to show up and flex.

So what does this mean for us?

It means when you’re outnumbered—when the odds are bad, the culture is loud, and you feel like the only one still standing for truth—don’t panic. One plus God is still a majority.

It means when obedience feels costly, when faithfulness looks like foolishness to the world, when you’re asked to do hard things (say no to sin, love your enemies, forgive the unforgivable), don’t flinch. God doesn’t command without also equipping.

And it means that though the battle is the Lord’s, He’s still called you to the field. Not the couch. Not the bunker. The field.

The promise is clear: “The Lord your God fights for you.” The duty is just as clear: “Be very careful… to love the Lord your God” (v. 11). That’s covenantal logic—grace fuels gratitude, and gratitude expresses itself in obedience.

It’s not that you fight so that God will love you. It’s that God fights because He loves you—and your response is to love Him back with your life, your loyalty, and yes, your strength.

So act like men. Stand strong. Obey with courage. But do so with a joyful dependence on the One who puts the thousand to flight.

And maybe keep your car windows closed when driving past a wasp nest—just to be safe.

SDG

No Land, No Problem: The Inheritance of the Lord

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Joshua 13:33 – “But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he said to them.”

Imagine showing up to a family reading of the will, eager to find out which piece of property or heirloom you’ll receive, only to hear the executor say, “And for you—nothing. Except… the Lord.”

At first glance, this may sound like a raw deal. In Joshua 13, as the Promised Land is being divided up among the tribes of Israel, there’s an awkward moment when the tribe of Levi gets passed over. Everyone else receives territory—cities, fields, pastureland. The Levites? Not a square inch. Their portion is the Lord Himself.

And that changes everything.

The Levites were called to serve in the presence of the Lord—offering sacrifices, teaching the Law, and maintaining the worship of Israel. Their lives were wrapped up in the worship of God, and in return, God made a staggering promise: “I will be your inheritance.”

It’s worth asking: who really got the better portion? The tribes got land—but land with boundaries, with enemies to fight off, with thorns and thistles to till. The Levites got the Lord—no boundaries, no threat, no decay. The land could be lost. The Lord never would be.

The Blessing of a Better Inheritance

This idea echoes throughout Scripture. Psalm 16:5 says, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.” And again in Lamentations 3:24, “The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.”

This wasn’t just for the Levites. It’s for all who belong to God. Peter calls believers “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9), echoing the idea that our true inheritance isn’t in wealth or property, but in knowing and being known by the Lord of Heaven.

It’s easy—especially in a world that measures success by what we own—to forget this. We envy those who’ve built big homes, secured their retirement, or collected shiny things. And while those blessings are not evil in themselves, they are fleeting. They are, at best, the wrapping paper on the gift—not the gift itself.

The true inheritance—the one that cannot be taken away, cannot rust or rot, and cannot disappoint—is the Lord.

The Joy of Serving the Lord

For the Levites, there was a cost in following God. They left behind worldly security and the comforts of a settled life. But in exchange, they lived in the presence of God. They were witnesses to His grace and instruments of His mercy. They were poor in property, but rich in the privilege of serving the Most High.

Christian, this is your calling, too.

To serve the Lord is not a lesser life. It is not a consolation prize. It is the blessed life—because He is the portion of your soul. Whatever your profession, whatever your place in this world, you have the privilege of living every day with the Lord as your inheritance. You walk with Him. You speak to Him. You are filled with His Spirit, taught by His Word, and held by His love.

There is no higher calling. No richer inheritance.

So if you find yourself feeling like you’ve missed out—if your peers are building their kingdoms while you’re just trying to be faithful—remember the Levites. They received no land. But they got the Lord. And that made all the difference.

Because to have Him is to have everything.

SDG