[The daughters] went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our relatives.” So Joshua gave them an inheritance along with the brothers of their father, according to the Lord’s command.
Joshua 17:4

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READ: Joshua 16-17

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” or so the saying goes. It’s hard to break old habits and learn new ways of doing things. It’s much easier to stick with tradition, even if tradition is no longer sensible, fair, or kind. Our country’s own history reflects the challenge of changing our ways—from emancipation, suffrage, the Civil Rights Movement, the Women’s Rights Movements, to issues of injustice today. Change is hard.

As we learned in Joshua 15 with the arranged marriage of Caleb’s daughter, women had few rights in the ancient Near East. This particularly affected fathers who had only daughters, since only sons could inherit land. Without sons, who would these fathers pass their land down to? Such was the situation of Zelophehad, who had five daughters and zero sons. After his death, there would be no one to inherit his portion of land.

His daughters weren’t having it. They went straight to Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and the other leaders, reminding them, “The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our relatives” (17:4b). And rather than reminding them that women didn’t inherit, Joshua changed his ways—and bent the rules for inheriting land. Joshua allotted the 10 portions of land for the tribe of Manasseh to the five brothers and the five granddaughters!

To be clear, this act of Joshua’s didn’t change the inheritance tradition moving forward. Things largely continued the old way throughout the world (with only sons inheriting land) until fairly recently. But it changed everything for those five women, their father, and their future families.

Change is hard—but when old traditions are no longer sensible, fair, or kind, maybe it’s time to make a change.

A STORY OF THEN & NOW

Called to a Change | Beth D. | Willow South Barrington

I never imagined I’d be in full-time church ministry or lead a fast-food restaurant—but God often calls us into change we’d never expect.

In 1991, I walked into Willow Creek as a single young professional looking for community. That step led to 23 years in ministry, where I helped build and lead teams, plan large-scale events, and develop young adults. It was deeply fulfilling work. But in 2012, everything shifted.

Through a connection with Chick-fil-A, I learned about their servant leadership model, and something stirred in me. I wasn’t looking for a career change, let alone a move into food service, but the vision aligned so closely with what I had lived out in ministry. After a long and intense application process, I became a Chick-fil-A Operator, and the restaurant became my new ministry.

High school students, team members, and customers became the people I now served and led. I poured into my team like I had at Willow—coaching, encouraging, and walking with them through life’s challenges. Over time, I saw lives transformed: teenagers finding purpose, employees stepping into leadership, and guests experiencing a space of restoration and kindness.

That change—from ministry staff to restaurant owner—wasn’t a step away from God’s work. It was an expansion of it. God used a chicken sandwich to teach me that ministry isn’t bound to any one particular space or organization. Real impact comes when we say yes to the change He leads us to—even if it is unfamiliar and challenging—and allow Him to work through our obedience.

DID YOU KNOW?

Jesus challenged the status quo by treating women with dignity and respect. He valued women as peers, leaders, and friends; in fact, two of his closest followers were women. In John 8, Jesus challenged the patriarchy of the day when a woman accused of adultery was pulled into the street and placed before Him (the man involved in their affair wasn’t dragged out into the public; only the woman). The Pharisees and teachers of the law were setting a trap for Jesus. The law said this woman should be stoned. What would Jesus say? “‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her’” (John 8:7b)—a brilliant response. One by one, the accusers drifted away. Jesus assured this woman that He did not condemn her, then instructed her to change her ways.

A PRAYER

God, what values, habits, or opinions of mine need to be re-examined and perhaps changed? Help me be a person of self-examination, open and eager to change. Amen.

FOR REFLECTION

Share a time when you realized your way of thinking about something was outdated or no longer helpful. How did you change?

Are you more likely to enjoy change or resist it?