Joshua 6:1
Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
Joshua 5:15
The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Joshua 6:20
When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.
Wouldn’t you know it? All the way to the brink of God’s promise and here stands a wall. A wall, a buttress, an obstacle between you and your dream. What do you do? Give up. Quit. “Well, it wasn’t meant for me”. There’s a little bit of that in all of us isn’t there. Imagine God commanding Israel to walk around that fortified wall six consecutive days. What kind of conversations were going around Israeli camp fires each night? Do you think the tone may have changed as they became more confident walking in the shadow of the enemy’s walls without being harmed? Faith. God marched His children right up to the face of the wall day after day, encouraging them, building their faith, day in and day out, by repetition. Each day, walking up to that that opposed them and then walking back to camp with a building confidence that what God had promised, He was able to perform. They may not have had a shout in them on day one, but on day seven they were primed for victory, primed to over come. Much like an athlete who trains for a contest, Israel was training for reigning. It was short and didn’t sound or feel anything like boot camp, but that’s exactly what it was: boot camp. Coming out of the wilderness, God had seasoned a people that could obey, but could they fight? Upon coming to the edge of the promised land, God commanded that circumcision be immediately be re-instituted… after forty years. Ouch! No argument, no dissension, the Israelites got out the knives and obeyed. In a hurry. Ouch! Really, ouch! So God had a people that would obey, but none that could fight. God had a plan: Take a sword in one hand and a shield in the other and follow me. Jesus said something like that to His followers: “Take up your cross and follow me”.
“Follow me as I follow Christ” Paul exhorted. Believers young and old throughout the Church age have done just that; taken up the Sword of the Sprit, which is the Word of God and the Shield of Faith, Faith in God, and following Christ into victorious, glorious eternal life. Taking up the cross is not the burden some suppose, not when you are following Christ. His burden is light, His yoke is easy. He invites you, invites you to a place of rest and healing and blessing, but a willingness to follow Him into battle. We are more than conquerors when we take our cross and follow. It doesn’t matter how much you know when you start, just that you get started. Open a bible, visit a church, just turn off the radio and the TV and spend a few quiet moments in prayer. Follow Him right up to the face of what frightens you the most, the largest obstacles, the greatest strongholds in your life and watch the walls come tumbling down. Shout; for God has given you the victory!
.wb
Hebrews 11:30
By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.
Hebrews 11:3
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Romans 8:31
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
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