Pages

Friday, October 21, 2016

Real courage sticks to God’s plan.

Joshua and the Israelites followed God’s plan in battle.  They did not attack the city of Jericho.  They walked around it.  For six days, they walked around it – once per day.  On the seventh day they walked around it seven times, as instructed by the LORD.

So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. (Joshua 6:20 ESV)

They’ve done well so far.  But now the real test begins. At this point, they are instructed to do three things:

  1. Save Rahab and her family, because she saved the spies.
  2. Destroy the city and everyone in it.
  3. Bring back any silver, gold, bronze, or iron for the LORD’s treasury.

The question is simple.  Will they do it?  Will they follow God’s instructions?  Will they stick to God’s plan?  The answer, of course, is “Yes.”

Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword. But to the two men who had spied out the land, Joshua said, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring out from there the woman and all who belong to her, as you swore to her." So the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and mother and brothers and all who belonged to her. And they brought all her relatives and put them outside the camp of Israel. And they burned the city with fire, and everything in it. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. But Rahab the prostitute and her father's household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. (Joshua 6:21-25 ESV)

God’s plans are not too complicated to understand.  Our part of God’s plan is not too difficult to fulfill.  We simply need to listen to God and then do what God says.  When we do, we live our our part of God’s plan.  Doing this for a day can be easy – even exciting.  Doing it for a week can be challenging.  Living out our part of God’s plan for a lifetime?  Well, that takes faithfulness.

Joshua laid an oath on them at that time, saying, "Cursed before the LORD be the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho. "At the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest son shall he set up its gates." (Joshua 6:26 ESV)

How about you?  Are you faithful to God’s call on your life today?  Do you stay faithful to your part of God’s plan throughout the week?  The month? The year?  Do you have the courage to stick to God’s plan?

No comments:

Post a Comment