Friday night we gathered for a great study, continuing the series Trust and Obey there is No other way! As we continue Biblical character studies, we took a look into the life of Joshua.
Joshua was Moses' right hand man. He succeeded Moses as a leader and a great man of God. In the book of Joshua, chapters 5 and 6 we see him rise in leadership in the city of Jericho. He trusts God and immediately obeys when he is instructed to march around the thick and impossible walls of Jericho, to take the city for the Lord. The Lord had told Joshua "I have given Jericho into your hand..." (chapter 6 v.2), and here we see that God is already victorious ahead of us. He had already delivered Jericho into the hands of the people, but needed Joshua to follow specific instructions (have seven priests, with seven rams horns, etc.) in order to prove his trust and alliance to the Lord.
The wall in this story symbolizes any event in our lives that is immovable. Any relationship, or circumstance that stands before us and seems impossible to overcome. Don't we all have walls in our lives? And yet what we learn from this story is to be available to hear from God, listen to what He is instructing us to do and follow through with His plan. We must obey what He says EVEN when it doesn't make sense! This is the most challenging part...because often our plan seems easier, better or quicker than God's plan for our situation. And yet, if we follow our plan, we fail to hear God and obey and this can lead to pain and trouble.
God never fails us. His team is already victorious and His plan is His best for us. In God there is VICTORY. Before you face the wall that is in your life, ask God to humble you, cleans your mind and heart and grant you purity in your life. A pure heart will allow you to obtain God's grace and proceed to practice obeying Him even when your flesh may want it's own way. Every single situation in our lives is ordained by God and if we are willing to follow His lead, he will lead us into victory and deliver us from the enemy. His strategy is legit, even when it takes longer, seems sillier or lame - but it will always serve a purpose in our life and the lives of others we encounter.
Enjoy God's victory in your life! Present your walls to Him and ask Him to completely lead you through. He may want the wall to crumble but will first require you to "march around it for days" to exercise a diligent and obedient heart. What He's asking is not a punishment for you, but a way to lead you into His promises.
"So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people hear the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city" (v.20).
