Windows of Hope: October 22, 2006

Against All Odds

Have you ever found yourself up against a problem you just can’t solve? Faced with a situation that’s too big for you to handle? Faith is made for moments like these. In the deepening shadows of twilight, a man walks alone, away from the campsites where familiar firelight beckons. Around those fires sit men he has known all his life, men of wisdom and experience who can be counted on to give him good advice. But tonight he doesn’t want to hear their advice. He doesn’t want to discuss plans or strategy with his fellow soldiers. Tonight, he needs to be alone. The solitary man, walking away from his companions into the darkness, has been through a lot of changes in a short time. For many years he has filled the role of second-in-command to a powerful and well-loved leader. Now that leader is dead, and this man finds the burden of leadership weighing heavy on his shoulders. He has been given an almost impossible task – leading his people into a challenge he’s not sure they can face. He’s doing his best, but the difficulties ahead of him seem insurmountable. His name is Joshua, and he leads a band of desert nomads in their quest to conquer and occupy a new land. Already he has seen miracles. Through many years of wandering in the wilderness under the leadership of the great deliverer Moses, Joshua has seen time and again how God has provided for His people. More recently, Joshua has seen a river that stretched before his armies and watched as God dried up the river’s water and allowed their feet to cross on dry land. They crossed that river, and here they are in the land of Canaan. For 40 years, the people of Israel had believed God’s promise that they would someday dwell in this land and make it their home. But the cities of Canaan were inhabited by fierce and warlike people. How could God’s promise of a new home become a reality for them? The very first obstacle proved the most daunting. The first city they came to in that new land was the walled and fortified city of Jericho. The city was heavily defended and well able to withstand a siege. How could the Israelites hope to overthrow such a city? God’s power was mighty, but Joshua wasn’t sure what God’s plan was now. How could he prepare to attack a city with the strength and power of Jericho? As he walked away from camp that night, Joshua looked up to see a man standing in front of him. Not one of his own men: a stranger. The man held a drawn sword in his hand, and instinctively Joshua’s hand went to his own sword hilt. The Israelite camp was well guarded, and Joshua found it hard to believe that an enemy could have made it past the sentries, but they were close to Jericho, and Joshua was cautious. Before drawing his own sword, he asked a question: “Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’ ‘Neither,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.’” Joshua 5:13, 14. You might think that reply would have stopped Joshua in his tracks for a moment. After all, as far as Joshua knew, he himself was the commander of the Lord’s army! Who was this stranger claiming to be the true commander? The Bible doesn’t tell us anything about the stranger’s appearance – whether he looked like an angel, how he was dressed, or whether it was just the authority in his voice that caused Joshua to trust him. Whatever the reason, Joshua didn’t hesitate. He recognized at once that this man was a heavenly messenger, and we read his response in the second part of Joshua 5:14: “Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant?’” Joshua recognized the word of the Lord at once when he heard it. He didn’t hesitate! He didn’t cling to his own power and authority as the commander of Israel’s army. No, when he met

1 ©2006 Quiet Hour Ministries | www.TheQuietHour.org the true Commander, the one appointed by God Himself, Joshua knew enough to step aside. He knew that he was in the presence of someone greater than himself, and he had only one question: What does God want me to do? I wonder how often you and I find ourselves facing a Jericho moment in our lives? Whether it’s a challenge at work or at home, a spiritual battle that must be fought or a personal crisis that has driven us to our knees, there are moments when each of us must step aside from our familiar routine, our human companions, and seek God’s counsel. And when God steps in, the first thing He does is to remind us of who’s really in charge. Joshua accepts the mysterious stranger’s statement of authority. He accepts that God is really in charge of the situation. And then he asks what God’s message is. He opens himself up to hear the counsel of God. Very few, if any of us will ever have the experience of hearing God speak directly to us as Joshua did that night. How can we open our ears to God’s message? How can we find out what guidance and direction He has for us? Though God rarely speaks audibly to individuals, He does have ways of making His will known. The best and most authoritative way in which we can learn God’s will for our lives is through the Bible, this very Book we’re opening together as we read this story of Joshua. The Bible is God’s Word to His people throughout history, and we need to be open to its leading and guidance. God can also guide us through human friends, leaders, or a church community. Though all human counsel must be tested against the Bible to see that it is in accordance with God’s Word, there are many times when a helpful word of guidance from a Christian friend, a pastor, or a counselor can help us to understand God’s leading in our lives. It can be so easy to feel that we don’t need help, that we can solve our problems all by ourselves. Being open to God’s guidance requires humility. Perhaps that’s why God told Joshua to take off his shoes. Standing barefoot on holy ground reminded Joshua that he was only human, in need of God’s leading. Once God actually began to give His instructions to Joshua, we enter the familiar territory of this story. Most of us know the story of how Joshua and the Israelites conquered Jericho by marching around the city until the walls fell down. It’s a famous Bible passage, celebrated in stories and songs. Let’s look at what God’s message for Joshua actually was: “Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.’” Joshua 6:2-5. If the story wasn’t so familiar – if we didn’t know about the walls of Jericho falling down – wouldn’t you think this a very strange thing for God to say? Instead of battle tactics and strategy, instead of advice about besieging Jericho or finding a place to get soldiers through the wall and inside – instead at of doing any of these sensible things, God proposes what sounds like a crazy scheme. Marching around the city? Sending priests with trumpets ahead of the soldiers? Blowing the trumpets and shouting? None of those things sounds like good military strategy! But listen to how God’s message starts out. Before He introduces the trumpets and the priests and the falling walls, God gives Joshua one clear and simple assurance. He says: “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands.” Joshua 6:2. That’s all it took for Joshua to step out in faith. The very next thing we read in the story is Joshua returning to camp and organizing his troops for this very unusual assault on the walled city. Joshua didn’t argue. He didn’t question. He didn’t even doubt – at least, if he did, it’s not recorded in the text. Instead, he accepted God’s very unlikely battle plan and moved forward. 2 ©2006 Quiet Hour Ministries | www.TheQuietHour.org

Why? Because God told him the battle was a done deal. God had already promised to deliver Jericho into Joshua’s hands. And Joshua had faith that if God said it, it would happen. We are in much the same position that Joshua was in. We face obstacles. We face challenges. Sometimes they may seem overwhelming or impossible. But we already have God’s promise, up front, that this battle has been fought and won. We already know there will be victory. If you’re not sure that’s true, please read John 16:33. There Jesus says to His disciples: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus has already overcome the world. The battle is won. Like the army of Israel, we don’t even need to fight. We just need to show up and allow God to tear down the walls. What can we learn from Joshua’s experience? How should we respond when faced with obstacles that seem overwhelming? First, we recognize God’s authority over the situation. We lay aside our constant need to be in control, and we acknowledge who is the real commander of this army. That’s not always easy to do, but it is essential if we are to be victorious. Step aside. Recognize that God is in command. Take off your shoes, for you are standing on holy ground. Second, we open ourselves up to hear God’s counsel. We search the pages of His Word for guidance that relates to the problem we face. We listen to the counsel of trusted Christian friends and leaders, weighing it against the standard of the Bible. We understand that the advice sometimes won’t be in accordance with our own wishes. Sometimes, like God’s battle plan for Jericho, it won’t even seem to make sense according to the world’s standards. But once we have humbly recognized that God is in command, we listen to His instructions. Third, we obey. We do what we can to carry out God’s instructions. Maybe we don’t fully understand all the implications, but we obey to the best of our ability. And we place our faith in God’s promise – He has already won the battle. He has delivered our enemies into our hands. He has overcome the world. Do you want to be victorious? Do you want to see the walls of sin, of fear, of tragedy, of crisis, of anger, of despair, falling all around you? Do you want to hear the trumpet blast that announces your victory? If you do, then recognize God as the commander of your army. Rest confident in His victory – because He’s already fought and won this battle for you.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, the obstacles we face may sometimes seem overwhelming. The walls before us may appear to be insurmountable. Lord, we thank You that You have already won the victory. Please help us to trust in Your victory, to place our battles in Your hands, and to step forward in faith. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

3 ©2006 Quiet Hour Ministries | www.TheQuietHour.org