Joshua – A warrior, good fighter and good leader, Joshua was old and “advanced in years” when he summoned the nation’s leaders. Earlier in his life, others considered stoning him for his unpopular solutions to problems; but after years of leadership, he went from a position of no one listening to him to no one questioning him. Why?

Gideon – Unlike some of the judges that God brought to lead Israel, Gideon was not from a prominent tribe, clan or family. At the time God called him, he was hiding in a hole. At that moment, God believed more in Gideon than Gideon believed in God; yet God still promised that he would be with Gideon in all that he was asking him to do.

Isaac – At the age of 60, Isaac fathered twin boys. While Isaac loved his son Esau, his wife Rebekah adored their son Jacob. The boys were as different as night and day, yet this was not a family to celebrate their differences. The ultimate example of a dysfunctional family, the trickery and dishonesty that pervaded the family are good example of how Satan’s shortcuts are dead ends. God, however, keeps his promises.