Be Flexible - The One Year Salt and Light Devotional

Joshua 6:1-5

When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town. (Joshua 6:5)

JESUS SENT HIS FOLLOWERS OUT with a message, but he did not confine them to a method. The earliest apostles stayed in Jerusalem to teach the message of Jesus—until they were driven out by persecution or the Spirit’s leading. Paul began his ministry by going to synagogues first and then branching out into Gentile populations, but later went directly to public arenas and general audiences to get his message out. Some Christians have traveled far and wide while others have stayed home. Some have been bold evangelists and others quiet examples. Some have emphasized words of truth in their ministry while others have focused on dramatic healings, deliverance, or works of compassion. And in all the diverse approaches, we find ourselves wondering: Which way is right?

They all are. Jesus had demonstrated the works of the Kingdom throughout his ministry, but his Spirit equipped each believer differently—and even the same believers differently at various times in their lives. The flexibility of method within the message may bother some people who look for formulas and strategies, but while human beings tend to rely on principles, God simply looks for followers. He wants us to adapt to situations as he leads—even when we don’t understand why he leads the way he does.

That was the case for Joshua and the Israelites as they entered the Promised Land. The first battle at Jericho was a one-time leading, and if Joshua had tried the same approach at subsequent battles, it probably would not have worked. If we want to influence our world, we will have to rely not on techniques but on spiritual direction—moment by moment, situation by situation, person by person. The God of amazing victories will give us his favor if we give him our attention and follow where he leads.

{Holy Spirit, I know your direction will not always make sense to me, and I know it will rarely develop into a pattern to follow. Make me sensitive to your promptings, turns, and strategies. Lead me moment by moment. Break down the walls that keep people captive. Amen.