Joshua 4:4
"Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:"
It could be that one of the reasons Joshua was the most qualified to lead Israel after Moses went to Heaven was because he didn't wait until he was in a leadership role to train others.
It says in the verse above, "Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared..." You must understand that Joshua had only been the leader of Israel for a short time. Preparation is never done in a short period of time. That means that while Moses was still alive, Joshua was preparing others to help conquer the Promised Land. I don't know, but maybe he learned that Moses made a mistake by not preparing those who spied out the land, and that is why the ten spies came back with a negative report. Joshua didn't want the same thing to happen, so he prepared twelve men before he sent them to spy out the land.
Every person should be involved in preparing others for future tasks. One of the weaknesses I find in churches today is that our Sunday school programs are considered an afterthought when they should be one of the primary ministries of the church. It is in the Sunday school where we prepare others to serve the LORD. It is in the Sunday school where we find those whom we can put into leadership. Sunday school isn't the only place where preparation should be made, but in every walk and area of life you should be busy preparing others. Let me show you some areas where Joshua seemingly prepared these men.
First, prepare them in the Word of the LORD. These men needed to understand that God promised them the land of Canaan. This is one area where you can start preparing others for the future. You should be busy preparing someone what to believe by teaching them the Word of God. Yes, Sunday school is the arm of the church that teaches the Word of God, but we shouldn't limit the teaching of God's Word to Sunday school. The Word of God should be taught in the home, at the workplace, in the school and in any place you frequent.
Second, prepare people for a vision. Joshua prepared these men before he was the leader of Israel. This shows that he had a vision, and he was teaching them to have a vision. You should show those whom you lead how to get a vision. One of the things many people lack today is a vision for the future. The best way to train others to have a vision is to get one yourself. If you train others for your vision, then they will get a vision themselves.
Third, prepare others for the battle. Joshua knew that battles would come, and he spent time preparing these twelve men for the battle. The Christian life is filled with battles. If you don't prepare others for the battle, then you are doing a poor job of preparing others for the future. Battles will come, and you should show others how to fight the battles. Most battles can be fought by showing people how to prevent them. Holiness will help prepare others for the battle. Prayer will help others for the battle. Getting God's power will help prepare others for the battle.
- Let me ask you, are you busy preparing others? I challenge you to get a vision for the future and find several people whom you can prepare. The Scriptures call this discipleship. I find it interesting that Joshua prepared twelve men, and Jesus also had twelve disciples. Find twelve people and prepare them to serve the LORD.