![]() ![]() What an act of faith it was for Joshua and the people to march around the city! No previous (and shall I dare say, subsequent?)battle had ever been won in such a manner. On the seventh day they were to follow this routine with one addition: They were to shout in glory to God because the city had been delivered to them (v. God instructed the people of Israel to carry the trumpets, with the ark of the Lord following for six days, and they were not to speak (vv. God could use a man like Joshua because he was a man of faith and a man of obedience. Though he may not have completely understood the plan or its significance, he followed God. In the face of such a great obstacle, Joshua complied with the plan of God. "So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, 'Take up the ark of the covenant of the Lord and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it.' And he ordered the people, 'Advance! March around the city, with the armed guard going ahead of the ark of the Lord.'" We defeat difficulties through compliance (vv. Let that be your first plan of action, rather than your last resort. If you are up against a wall and want to know how to deal with it, don't try to overcome under your own strength. He is committed to communicating with His people and to providing strength, comfort, and hope. Whatever your obstacle, God is willing to cross it with you. God told Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men" and provided the plan for taking Jericho (vv. Verse 2 reads, "And the Lord said to Joshua." Though such a statement might seem odd when applied to our lives, such communication from God is common for Joshua. Joshua had a God who communicated with him. How would they reach the city? How would they scale the wall? If they could not conquer this city, then all hope for the Israelites was gone. The major obstacle facing Joshua and the people of Israel was Jericho. Then the Lord said to Joshua, 'See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands along with its king and its fighting men.'" "Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. We overcome obstacles through communication (vv. Joshua teaches us how to overcome the obstacles that would keep us from following the will of God for our lives. But as we seek to follow His direction, difficulties confront us. ![]() God does not place us on the planet without purpose He has a divine design for each of us. We each arrive at this crossroad in our spiritual walk. Would they move forward in spite of the obstacles, or would they once again retreat into safety? The people of God had to decide whether they would continue the journey to where God wanted them. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |