Capeless Heroes: A 7-Day Bible Reading PlanSample

Day 6: A Hero’s Legacy

Have you ever eaten a Little Debbie snack? When I was growing up, there were two things I looked forward to after school: cartoons and Little Debbie snacks. Recently, one of my sons saw a lady eating a Nutty Bar on TV and asked me if they are any good. Shocked that he’d never tried one, I turned the show off, and we took a trip to the store. I felt like such a bad dad for depriving my son of Little Debbie snacks for so long! After all, it says right on the box, "Unwrap a Smile." As soon as he bit into the Nutty Bar, the crunch rang out like Handel’s "Hallelujah Chorus.” I couldn’t wait to hear his assessment.

He said, "They’re all right."

I made him change his last name.

Joshua could probably relate. This was a historic moment for Israel. After Moses led them out of Egypt and throughout their years in the desert, they now had a new leader. Everyone wants to know if Joshua will be worth following. After all, their last leader was Moses. How would you like to be the leader who follows Moses?

He had received the Ten Commandments.

He had parted the Red Sea through God’s power.

He talked to God, and God talked back.

But when God parted the Jordan River and the whole nation of Israel crossed over, it was as if He was saying, "Just like I was with Moses, so I will be with Joshua." And to consecrate this miracle, God instructed Joshua to have twelve guys go into the middle of the riverbed and each bring back a stone. These stones were set up on the edge of their camp and became a memorial to what God had done. The Israelites were told to routinely visit this sacred spot and to pass on this ritual to their children. When the children saw the rocks after traveling a long distance, they would naturally say, "We came all this way to stare at a pile of rocks?" But then their parents would tell them a story about God’s goodness and faithfulness.

Rituals are supposed to tell a story. And they create community because it's not just a story, it's our story.

Action Step for Today:

What rituals or traditions do you practice in your family or church community? Think about ways you can intentionally pass healthy values on to the next generation.