Called to finish well
So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the Lord on Midian. ~ Numbers 31:3
Have you ever wondered why some battles linger longer than others, even after God has already promised victory? Today’s reading reminds us that obedience is not only about showing up for the fight, it is about finishing what God has assigned with faith, courage, and integrity. As a Christian in today’s world, the battles may not look the same, but the call to walk in obedience and trust God completely still stands.
As you read today’s chapter, consider three powerful truths that speak directly to how obedience, victory, and stewardship work together in your life as a child of God today.
1. Obedience requires action even when the assignment feels uncomfortable.
God asked Israel to step forward and engage in a difficult task, trusting that He would bring the victory.
When God prompts you to have a hard conversation, make a necessary change, or step into a role that stretches you, choose to move forward in obedience instead of waiting for perfect conditions. That step of faith invites God’s strength into the situation and He will empower you to complete it with His grace.
2. God brings victory, but He also cares about how the victory is handled.
In this chapter, instructions followed the battle to ensure purity, order, and accountability.
When God gives you success at work, in ministry, or in a relationship, pause and honor Him by handling the outcome with humility, gratitude, and integrity, allowing His standards to guide your next steps.
3. What God entrusts after the battle must be stewarded wisely.
The spoils were counted, shared, and dedicated according to God’s direction.
When God entrusts you with influence, resources, or responsibility, seek His wisdom on how to use what you have gained in a way that blesses others and honors Him.
I remember a season when God asked me to confront an issue I would rather have avoided. I wanted the victory without the discomfort, but He kept pressing me to follow through completely. As I obeyed, step by step, I saw how God not only resolved the situation but also taught me discipline, courage, and trust. The outcome was not just external change, it was also internal growth. God showed me that finishing well matters just as much as starting strong.
Today I want to encourage you to trust God enough to obey fully, to step into the battles He has placed before you, and to steward every victory with faith and humility, knowing that He is shaping your character and strengthening your walk through each assignment He gives.
Today’s scripture reading: Numbers 31
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2 “Take vengeance on the Midianites for the children of Israel. Afterward you shall be gathered to your people.”
3 So Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves for war, and let them go against the Midianites to take vengeance for the Lord on Midian.
4 A thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel you shall send to the war.”
5 So there were recruited from the divisions of Israel one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
6 Then Moses sent them to the war, one thousand from each tribe; he sent them to the war with Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, with the holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand.
7 And they warred against the Midianites, just as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed all the males.
8 They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. Balaam the son of Beor they also killed with the sword.
9 And the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones, and took as spoil all their cattle, all their flocks, and all their goods.
10 They also burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their forts.
11 And they took all the spoil and all the booty—of man and beast.
12 Then they brought the captives, the booty, and the spoil to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho.
13 And Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp.
14 But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle.
15 And Moses said to them: “Have you kept all the women alive?
16 Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.
17 Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately.
18 But keep alive for yourselves all the young girls who have not known a man intimately.
19 And as for you, remain outside the camp seven days; whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day.
20 Purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything woven of goats’ hair, and everything made of wood.”
21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to the battle, “This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord commanded Moses:
22 Only the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
23 everything that can endure fire, you shall put through the fire, and it shall be clean; and it shall be purified with the water of purification. But all that cannot endure fire you shall put through water.
24 And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may come into the camp.”
25 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
26 “Count up the plunder that was taken—of man and beast—you and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation;
27 and divide the plunder into two parts, between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation.
28 And levy a tribute for the Lord on the men of war who went out to battle: one of every five hundred of the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep;
29 take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest as a heave offering to the Lord.
30 And from the children of Israel’s half you shall take one of every fifty, drawn from the persons, the cattle, the donkeys, and the sheep, from all the livestock, and give them to the Levites who keep charge of the tabernacle of the Lord.”
31 So Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses.
32 The booty remaining from the plunder, which the men of war had taken, was six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep,
33 seventy-two thousand cattle,
34 sixty-one thousand donkeys,
35 and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of women who had not known a man intimately.
36 And the half, the portion for those who had gone out to war, was in number three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep;
37 and the Lord’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred and seventy-five.
38 The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which the Lord’s tribute was seventy-two.
39 The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the Lord’s tribute was sixty-one.
40 The persons were sixteen thousand, of which the Lord’s tribute was thirty-two persons.
41 So Moses gave the tribute which was the Lord’s heave offering to Eleazar the priest, as the Lord commanded Moses.
42 And from the children of Israel’s half, which Moses separated from the men who fought—
43 now the half belonging to the congregation was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,
44 thirty-six thousand cattle,
45 thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,
46 and sixteen thousand persons—
47 and from the children of Israel’s half Moses took one of every fifty, drawn from man and beast, and gave them to the Levites, who kept charge of the tabernacle of the Lord, as the Lord commanded Moses.
48 Then the officers who were over thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near to Moses;
49 and they said to Moses, “Your servants have taken a count of the men of war who are under our command, and not a man of us is missing.
50 Therefore we have brought an offering for the Lord, what every man found of ornaments of gold: armlets and bracelets and signet rings and earrings and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord.”
51 So Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from them, all the fashioned ornaments.
52 And all the gold of the offering that they offered to the Lord, from the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.
53 (The men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)
54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest received the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of meeting as a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord.
Journal:
- What battle has God been asking you to face with obedience and trust
- Where might you need to follow through instead of stopping short
- How can you honor God with what He has already entrusted to you
- What would finishing well look like in your current season
The Daily Dose 