Trouble Looms & Walls Are High, BUT PRAISE GOD—HE IS WITH US!
“Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho,
(The Book of Joshua 5: 13-15 NASB)
that he lifted up his eyes and looked,
and behold,
a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand,
and Joshua went to him and said to him,
“Are you for us or for our adversaries?”
He said,
“No;
rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD.”
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth,
and bowed down, and said to him,
“What has my lord to say to his servant?”
The captain of the LORD’S host said to Joshua,
“Remove your sandals from your feet,
for the place you are standing is holy.”
And Joshua did so.”
In 2019, I was led to begin writing; this leading continues until today. For years, I had haphazardly studied my Bible, but oftentimes, I found myself unfocused in my reading, merely reading for the sake of reading. In 2019, that changed. As I sit here today, the future from 2019, I gaze back into the past, seeing what this new focused reading of God’s Word has done to me. You see, not only did I begin reading ‘on purpose’ and with a ‘more-focused purpose,’ but I also began copying the Bible passages as I read/studied and wrote about what God was teaching me through them.
Let me say, the act of COPYING THE BIBLE VERSES: WORD-FOR-WORD, COMMA-FOR-COMMA, PERIOD-FOR-PERIOD, LINE-BY-LINE commanded my attention & changed me.
I would highly recommend that you begin this ‘copying’ of God’s Word.
Now, I would be remiss if I did not mention my errors (ones that sweet Julena so graciously points out to me each day). I can never thank her enough for the painstaking way she re-reads my writings about what God is teaching me, pointing out where grammatical errors exist or where inaccurate copying of the Bible verses occurs.
Julena is a Godsend to my life.
This morning, I was drawn to read about the battle the children of Israel faced once they crossed the Jordan River, when they arrived at the fortified city Jericho. Now, if you are a student of lessons at Sunday School, then you may know the song about the way the walls of Jericho came tumbling down, and if you are a student of God’s Holy Word, then you know how Joshua led the people to victory. Both of these points are key to understanding that only God can bring victory to our battles we may face within our lives.
However, for a moment, let us focus instead on what Joshua saw as he looked toward the city Jericho: before the battle, before the leading of the people to march around the city, and before the walls tumbled to the ground before their eyes.
YES, LET US FOCUS INSTEAD ON EXACTLY WHAT JOSHUA SAW FIRST.
“Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho,
(The Book of Joshua 5: 13 NASB)
that he lifted up his eyes and looked,
and behold,
a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand,
and Joshua went to him and said to him,
“Are you for us or for our adversaries?”
The walls looked impenetrable.
Often, we face troubles within our lives: career struggles, family struggles, relationship struggles, & even health struggles.
It’s so easy to lift up our eyes and SEE only the STRUGGLE, the CHALLENGE, the BATTLE looming before us.
Today, the LORD has revealed how INSTEAD, WE ARE TO SEE THE LORD!
“He said,
(The Book of Joshua 5: 14 NASB)
“No;
rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD.”
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth,
and bowed down, and said to him,
“What has my lord to say to his servant?”
The walls must have looked massively high as Joshua stood before them, circling completely, fortifying the entire city, making it nearly impossible for anyone to enter or move beyond them to reach The Land of Promise.
So quickly, we can see what suddenly comes to our lives.
So suddenly, we sense the way our lives as we know it—changes.
- We arise in pain.
- We receive a phone call or a knock at our front door.
- We are handed a document that makes us quake.
Today, the LORD has revealed how INSTEAD, WE ARE TO SEE THE LORD & HOW HE IS THE MASTER OF EVERYTHING: BOTH THE PEACE & THE TURMOIL.
&
Today, the LORD is showing me WHAT THE LORD REQUIRES IS THAT I BOW DOWN ON MY FACE TO THE GROUND, SAYING: “LORD, WHAT AM I TO LEARN AS I FACE THIS STRUGGLE?”
The message of Jericho is unmistakable.
We are not exempt from troubles & oftentimes, the walls we face loom so high before us.
BUT PRAISE GOD, WE HAVE MORE!
THANK YOU GOD, WE HAVE YOU!
EMMANUEL—THE WORD OF GOD REMINDS US OVER & OVER—GOD IS WITH US, WITH THOSE WHO BELIEVE, WHO ARE HIS CHILDREN.
Our part is so simple.
- Realize that we are forevermore within God’s presence.
- Remove our sandals, setting aside every obstacle that may stand in our way.
- Recall God’s holiness.
- Bow down before the KING of kings.
- Faithfully & Immediately Obey our LORD.
“The captain of the LORD’S host said to Joshua,
(The Book of Joshua 5: 15 NASB)
“Remove your sandals from your feet,
for the place you are standing is holy.”
And Joshua did so.”
Whether we study about Abraham, Nehemiah, or about the apostle Paul, (and so many more) or even as we study about our SAVIOR JESUS HIMSELF, we are constantly reminded that (as believers) we are given something more precious than anything else.
GOD HAS GIVEN US DIRECT ACCESS TO TALK WITH HIM ABOUT EVERYTHING!
- How are we doing with that?
- Are we bowing to pray, to speak with & to listen to our LORD every single day, and even throughout the minutes of each day?
I am so hopeful the LORD will continue allowing me to read His Word each morning.
I am also so hopeful the LORD will give me words to write, revealing to me His teaching.
Finally, I am also hopeful my faithful critique (Julena) strides forward with me into each future day, seeing all the errors I continually make as I write.
We end this discussion, and we are reminded how Trouble Looms & Walls Are High, BUT PRAISE GOD—HE IS WITH US!
- A song, a Lauren Daigle melody reminds us—GOD HAS US! Pause to listen to “Your Wings” with me today.
&
- Then read a psalm of David who reminds us to dwell within the POWER WE FIND WHEN WE TALK WITH OUR SAVIOR & REDEEMER.
Let us, in closing, read together a Psalm of David, or even better, reach for your personal copy of God’s Word and turn to Psalm 4.
May we allow the peace, the comfort, the joy of the LORD to well up within us, and then let us bow &
THANK GOD—PRAISING HIM—
- FOR HIS PRESENCE AS WE WALK THROUGH THIS LIFE HERE ON EARTH &
- FOR THE WAY HE PROMISES THAT ONE DAY SOON, HE WILL BRING US HOME!
“Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
(The Psalms 4: 1-8 NASB)
You have relieved me in my distress;
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach?
How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? Selah.
But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself;
The LORD hears when I call to Him.
Tremble, and do not sin;
Meditate in your heart upon your bed,
and be still. Selah.
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And trust in the LORD.
Many are saying, “Who will show us any good?”
Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O LORD!
You have put gladness in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine abound.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep,
For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.”