After You Have Done All, Stand!

After You Have Done All, Stand!

Joshua told the commanders of his army, “Come and put your feet on the kings’ necks.” And they did as they were told. “Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua told his men. “Be strong and courageous, for the LORD is going to do this to all of your enemies.” Joshua 10:24-25

When I think of perseverance and the presence of enemies in our lives, I’m reminded of a missionary to India named Miss Mitchell. When she left for India, it was the high point of her life, a dream come true that she’d prayed for and felt God had called her to. However, after arriving, the young woman was overwhelmed by culture shock, not only by the Indian culture but also by loneliness and homesickness. She had difficulty learning the language and began to dislike the very Indian people with whom she’d come to share Christ. She longed for a husband, children, and a home of her own. The final blow came when she fell very ill with amebic dysentery and the doctor told her that her very survival depended on leaving India.

It seemed her ministry was coming to a disappointing and rapid end. Although she hated the thought of letting God down, she started packing to go home. The morning she was scheduled to leave, she read from Joshua 10. In the passage, five enemy kings fled in the heat of battle to the cave at Makkedah to hide from Joshua’s men (see Joshua 10:16). When the kings were discovered, Joshua ordered stones to seal the mouth of the cave and told his captains later to put their feet on the necks of the five doomed kings before putting them to death.

When Miss Mitchell read the words “Fear not,” she realized that she, too, had five enemies that threatened to end her service: illness, problems with the language, lack of love for the Indian people, homesickness, and her desire for a husband. She wrote each “enemy” on a piece of paper. Then, to symbolize her decision to take authority over them, she put her foot on one after another, proclaiming her trust in the all-powerful, resurrected Lord to defeat them. She unpacked and began to spend time praising God instead of complaining about problems. And as she stood firm in her faith, not only did her perspective change, but her circumstances began to turn around. —CHERI

Sovereign Lord, we all have enemies. Help us not to be afraid or shrink back, but after we have done all we can, help us to continue to stand.

All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: act as if it were impossible to fail. That is the . . . command of the right-about-face that turns us from failure toward success.

—DOROTHEA BRANDE (1893–1948), AMERICAN WRITER AND EDITOR