Obedience

Obedience

At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?”

Joshua 5:14

Are you up against a situation in your life that feels hopeless? Are you discouraged and tempted to give up? Before Israel’s conquest of the walled city of Jericho, Joshua and the Israelites must have felt the same way. But they made several good choices.

The first thing Joshua did was to humble himself before God and commit to following God’s plan. Too many times when I face a problem, my first step is to draw up my own plan. This appears to help, but in the long run it is like putting a bandage over a wound that needs more serious attention.

Joshua took God seriously. God said that he had delivered Jericho, along with its king and fighting men, over to Joshua and the Israelites. Would I have believed that statement if I had been there? Joshua and the Israelites chose to trust God for the impossible. Although God’s plan required patience, they weren’t going to be delivered through sitting back and relaxing—there was some work to be done!

Their reverence for God and their faith in him prompted their ultimate obedience. They paid amazing attention to detail, including trumpets of rams’ horns, marching for seven days, and circling seven times around the city on the seventh day—usually quietly, but the last time with a shout. There was no room for laziness or cynicism.

When we humble ourselves in prayer, trust God for the impossible, and obey the details, we will see God’s victory over the enemy in our lives and the lives of those we love.

Father,

Thank you for the example of Joshua, who humbled himself, trusted you, and obeyed you. Please help us to do the same as we face our own challenges. Amen.