Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. Then the Lord said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in." Joshua 6:1-5
the word i love in this passage is SEE
SEE I HAVE DELIVERED THE CITY TO YOU says God.
pre battle God says SEE
pre the walls falling God says SEE
pre victory God says SEE
i LOVE that!
what things in my life is God saying SEE about?
what things has He accomplished and promised for me to SEE
2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Ephesians 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
and yet though God had said SEE THE VICTORY joshua and the israelites still had to walk out in obedience to God in order to see the victory won.
sometimes obedience and faith go hand in hand. God promises and by faith we receive and have the victory but by obedience we receive it and experience that promise.
Life is filled with challenges that test our determination and our faith in God. there are cities to conquer, walls to overthrow, sin to overcome, relationships that are strained, temptation to resist, flaws and shortcomings that threaten to derail us. we are our own worst enemies, wanting to follow God but wanting to satisfy our flesh. Yay that we have victory and forgiveness and acceptance and righteousness through Christ Jesus, who calls us to walk the walk and to follow Him in the way we live our lives. He begins by renewing our hearts, and then from that flows our behaviour. We are saved by grace, and then we respond with obedience.
for joshua the outwalking, the process of winning the victory, also looked, maybe, honestly lets say BIZZARE to some people. walk around the city, SILENTLY, for 6 days, then give a loud shout? how would THAT work? that’s not normal battle strategy?
yet this was the PROCESS that God ordered.
and joshua chose to obey it. i wonder if everyone was happy with the plan? i wonder if there were doubters or haters? i wonder if there were people who thought they had a better way, a smarter way, a cooler way, a more efficient way…? not to mention the retaliation and response from the people inside the walls. choose to follow God. remember, He is eternal and wise. His ways are higher and He is omnipresent, omnipowerful, omniawesome. He knows the beginning and the end.
is God calling you to follow Him and choose His ways? to do something “different” and out of the box? to obey by seeing the unseen first rather than seeing an outward evidence? The key is to keep trusting God, even if you don’t understand. There is no such thing as trusting God without unanswered questions, but when you push ahead, despite your doubts, He will build you up and make you strong.
this passage reminds me that God is faithful to His promises and He has the power to make any wall fall down, no matter how formidable it is. it reminds me to trust Him and to follow His commands because His way is greater.
Jesus Christ gives me victory, He is my Saviour.
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