S) " 1 Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in. 2 The Lord said to Joshua, 'See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors.'"
Joshua 6:1-2 (NASB)
O) The walls of Jericho fell before Joshua, at the trumpet blasts on the seventh circle around the city, which took place on the seventh day. But, that was not the reality facing Joshua the day that the LORD spoke those words. On that day, Jericho was one of the most formidable cities known. On that day, those high walls were tightly shut. On that day, they had no element of surprise, no war machines, and no real plan. But, Joshua knew that the LORD was with them. The evidence he had at hand showed them that Jericho was anything but in his hand. But, Joshua knew that the LORD held everything in His hands. The task, the mission, the upcoming war that Joshua would fight would have seemed like a longshot to a seasoned general. It would have seemed like a long endeavor. It would have been a huge military conquest that would be very costly. But, on the day that the LORD spoke to Joshua, all of that didn't matter. It didn't matter what his eyes saw, it mattered what the LORD said.
A) To any Sunday school graduate, the story of Joshua and Jericho might seem like a classic, simple, run of the mill Old Testament story. I remember learning about it in my youth. But, this is one of those stories that had become so familiar that I honestly don't think about it much as an adult. It seemed like such a simple lesson. I mean, even reading this chapter today, I was searching for some "deeper" lesson to see. The truth is, the lesson of a formidable wall being no match for God, is a lesson that I still need to learn. To the God I serve, there is no impenetrable fortress. There is no expense to great to pay. There is no crisis to chaotic to settle. There is no relationship too broken to mend. It doesn't matter what my eyes see, it only matters what my God says.
P) Father, there are a few walls in my life right now I think I've been ignoring, or else they've just been worrisome. I have no way to scale these walls, let alone tear them down. My relationship with my dad continues to feel like a wall I cannot break through. My financial stresses still seem like a permanent wall I can never seem to conquer. I don't want to see these obstacles with my own eyes anymore, God. I'm tired. I'm tired of scheming, and worrying, and measuring, and banging my head against them, in the hopes of finding some small crack. I can't do it anymore. Open my ears, LORD. I need to hear Your words. Open my eyes to see what You say about these things. Let me find what Scripture says about these things, and reveal to me how to relate Your words to my life. Lead me, and let me follow the Holy Spirit faithfully. I set my heart to obey You fearfully, setting my hope on Your words, not my eyes. Let Your will be done. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment