Jericho...

Do you ever feel like you are praying and nothing is happening? I know I feel that way at times. This week though I was reminded about Joshua and the battle of Jericho. Remember how they walked around the outside of Jericho for 7 days and for 6 of those days nothing happened? They were quiet and just walked.

Joshua 5:10 But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!”

Can you imagine being one of the Israelite army? I am pretty sure my thoughts would be “this is stupid, if God is going to deliver the city into our hands, why not just do it the first day?”

The cool thing about God is that he knows what needs to happen. If he would have taken the city the first day then his Glory would not have been seen as much. Imagine the Israelites were being ridiculed by the people of Jericho, thinking they were crazy for trusting in a God who is having them walk around their town once every day. And then to top that off on the 7th day they keep walking and on the last lap they shout!

Are there things in your life that you feel like you are just “walking around the wall” with? I know I have a friend who is going through an adoption and the birth father is contesting the adoption. I just can’t help but think of her and her husband walking around this “wall”. Could God have given them baby S without any complications? Yeah, he totally could have. I just have this feeling that at the end of this the “wall” is going to fall down and God’s power and might will be seen to all of those involved in this.

Do you think it was hard for for Joshua and the Israelite army to trust that God had this under control? I'm thinking so. I imagine they spent time in prayer before, during and after each walk around the town.

What is your Jericho situation? Let me encourage you to continue to trust in the LORD. He’s got this.

Joshua 5:20 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.