Joshua 6:27  So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land. (NIV)

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Joshua chapters 5 and 6 tell the story of the fall of Jericho. You probably know the story well. It tells us where the idea for marching bands comes from. 

This was a great adventure. People were in awe. Many of them realized for the first time that they had an awe-worthy leader like Moses. 

I work around a lot of young pastors. Some of them want the authority and respect their forebears earned over decades of faithful and fruitful leadership. Good ideas by the dozen and dreams that sound more like fantasy do not engender gravitas. Big talk doesn’t produce big results. 

Moses, Mr. Reluctant, you may recall from Exodus 3 and 4, settled into a role of telling Pharaoh and the Hebrew slaves what God was going to do. He got comfortable doing this because God kept doing what he said he would do. Moses learned to trust that what God said he would do, he did. 

The Hebrews learned to trust Moses because what he said God said turned out to be right. He also glowed in the dark, and the light, after spending time alone with God. 

He was definitely awe-worthy.

Joshua had some wins. He did some notable stuff. But he was still Moses’ understudy. Sure, he led the journey across the flooded river, but come on, it’s not like it was the Red Sea or something. 

The marching band thing was kind of a big deal. Six days of long walks in circles around Jericho, followed by seven times on the seventh day, would not have been so memorable if the walls had not collapsed as they did. That was pretty cool, especially to the boys in the crowd. 

God was with Moses. There was no doubt about that. Now, everyone saw that there was no doubt that God was with Joshua. This proved true for the rest of Joshua’s life. 

If you want to become an awe-worthy leader, listen deeply to God. Do what he says conspicuously. Make sure he gets all the credit. Turn this into a lifestyle. Do not attempt to borrow authority or respect you have not earned through humble obedience. 

One other thing, don’t sing songs like My Way. Don’t write books like How I Did It. His Way and What God Did and Let Me Watch are much more in line with the truth. People will remember how good you are by how much you demonstrate how good God is. That’s awe-worthy leadership.

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I will show and tell how good God is.

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Our Father, everything good we ever accomplish is because of your clear directions, your gifts of strength and courage, and your purpose in this world that you use us to help bring to pass. It’s all about you. All praise, glory, and thanksgiving for every good thing belongs to you. We belong to you. Amen.