"Joshua captured all these kings and their lands at one time, because the Lord, the God of Israel, fought for Israel." -Joshua 10.42
God fulfills His promises. Joshua 10 talks about numerous victories that Joshua and Israel won, and the cities they captured in the process. They are victorious because God is with them, fighting for them. God has promised to bring Israel into the land and give them possession of it, and He is leading them in victory after victory to fulfill His promise.
It is important to note that God does not just hand Israel the land. Before they ever entered He told them that He would drive out the inhabitants gradually so that the wild animals did not become too numerous. But He also isn't doing all of the work. Israel is there, fighting the battles. They are engaged in the process, and the work, of taking possession of the land. Victory is assured because it is God's promise, but victory will be hard won.
Men, following God brings the ultimate victory, but that does not mean we can simply sit back and wait for it. We must be willing to take up our shields and draw our swords, marching in the front lines. God is fighting with us, on our behalf, but He is not doing everything. He wants us there with Him, by His side, fighting together. Victory will come, but it will be hard won.
With God victory is assured. Joshua took possession of all the lands we read about in chapter 10 because God was fighting with him. But Joshua was there, in the midst of battle, fighting alongside of God.
Let us never be content to sit back and let others fight our battles for us. Let us never sit back expecting God to simply hand us the victory. May we always be ready and willing to pay the price for victory.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Showing posts with label Joshua 10. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joshua 10. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Monday, January 19, 2015
Finish the Job
"Now these five kings had fled and hidden themselves in the cave at Makkedah. It was told Joshua, saying, 'The five kings have been found hidden in the cave at Makkedah.' Joshua said, 'Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave, and assign men by it to guard them, but do not stay there yourselves; pursue your enemies and attack them in the rear. Do not allow them to enter their cities, for the Lord your God has delivered them into your hand.' It came about when Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished slaying them with a very great slaughter, until they were destroyed, and the survivors who remained of them had entered the fortified cities, that all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. No one uttered a word against any of the sons of Israel." Joshua 10.16-21
The sun stood still to give Joshua more time to defeat his enemies. Five kings brought their armies out against Israel, and five armies fled from the field. Their leaders hid themselves in a cave, and while capturing the leaders would have brought victory, God had commanded Israel to completely destroy their enemies. Joshua doesn't settle for victory, he does what God says. He has the cave sealed and places a guard there while the rest of the army finishes the job.
Israel pursues their enemies and slaughters them, when they are done they return to camp in peace. But it is not until the battle is over that they return to camp. They don't give their enemy time to regroup, they finish the job and then return victoriously.
Over the years I'm sure there are many times I haven't finished things when I should have. Right now I'm pursuing two master's degrees, and while I've turned everything in on time, I have not gotten things in as early as I would have liked. It has caused unnecessary stress in my life, and has cost me freedom that I could have had later.
Men, do you finish what you start, or do you leave things incompleted? Has an unfinished job ever come back to bite you? Have you started resting and celebrating too soon?
Earlier this month I shared about a wrestling match I should have won but my focus wasn't where it needed to be. That story could also fit here. I had a job to do, victory was mine, but I started to celebrate the victory too soon, and as a result never got it.
Joshua did not make that mistake. It really isn't that hard to appoint a new king to lead the army. Had Joshua allowed the armies to escape, being satisfied with having captured the kings, a new leader could have risen and led a second wave of attacks while Israel celebrated. But that isn't what he does. He posts a guard preventing the kings from escaping, and then finishes destroying the armies.
Let us not be men who leave things uncompleted. Let us finish the job, and then celebrate the peace we have won.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
The sun stood still to give Joshua more time to defeat his enemies. Five kings brought their armies out against Israel, and five armies fled from the field. Their leaders hid themselves in a cave, and while capturing the leaders would have brought victory, God had commanded Israel to completely destroy their enemies. Joshua doesn't settle for victory, he does what God says. He has the cave sealed and places a guard there while the rest of the army finishes the job.
Israel pursues their enemies and slaughters them, when they are done they return to camp in peace. But it is not until the battle is over that they return to camp. They don't give their enemy time to regroup, they finish the job and then return victoriously.
Over the years I'm sure there are many times I haven't finished things when I should have. Right now I'm pursuing two master's degrees, and while I've turned everything in on time, I have not gotten things in as early as I would have liked. It has caused unnecessary stress in my life, and has cost me freedom that I could have had later.
Men, do you finish what you start, or do you leave things incompleted? Has an unfinished job ever come back to bite you? Have you started resting and celebrating too soon?
Earlier this month I shared about a wrestling match I should have won but my focus wasn't where it needed to be. That story could also fit here. I had a job to do, victory was mine, but I started to celebrate the victory too soon, and as a result never got it.
Joshua did not make that mistake. It really isn't that hard to appoint a new king to lead the army. Had Joshua allowed the armies to escape, being satisfied with having captured the kings, a new leader could have risen and led a second wave of attacks while Israel celebrated. But that isn't what he does. He posts a guard preventing the kings from escaping, and then finishes destroying the armies.
Let us not be men who leave things uncompleted. Let us finish the job, and then celebrate the peace we have won.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Pray for the Impossible
"Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, 'O sun, stand still at Gibeon,and O moon in the valley of Aijalon.' So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of the sky and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. There was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel." -Joshua 10.12-14
Word of Israel's victories is spreading through the land of Canaan, and the kings of the land are worried. Already two cities have been destroyed, and one of them was Jericho. Five kings form an alliance and move to attack Gibeon, the men who tricked Joshua into an alliance. God tells Joshua to go and fight, and that none of them will stand before him. The people march all night, and then the massacre begins.
They are winning. The enemy is fleeing and God is sending hailstones on them. But Joshua does not want to allow them to have time to regroup, call for more aid, and possibly turn the tide of battle. And so he prays to God, asking the sun to stand still so that Israel can have more time to defeat their enemies. God answers his prayer. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky.
Joshua asks for the impossible, and God answers. Joshua courageously, and confidently made a request to God, and God gave him what he asked for.
Men, do you pray for the impossible? Do you have the faith to ask God to do something crazy? When you do, is your request confident or timid? Just because we ask God for something does not mean He is going to give it, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't ask. Sometimes God says no, other times He says not yet, and sometimes He says yes. The question is do we have the courage to ask, and the faith to believe He will answer? Are we willing to risk Him saying no? Are we afraid that He might say yes?
Joshua's prayer was answered because it lined up with what God had commanded him to do. He prayed for more time to achieve a victory God had sent him to claim. It was a big request, and made publically before the people, but he had the faith in God to ask. He was not afraid of hearing no, something was needed and so he boldly asked God.
Let us have the courage to pray big. Let us have the faith to ask God help us accomplish the things that He has called us to do. Let us be men who boldly pray for the impossible.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Word of Israel's victories is spreading through the land of Canaan, and the kings of the land are worried. Already two cities have been destroyed, and one of them was Jericho. Five kings form an alliance and move to attack Gibeon, the men who tricked Joshua into an alliance. God tells Joshua to go and fight, and that none of them will stand before him. The people march all night, and then the massacre begins.
They are winning. The enemy is fleeing and God is sending hailstones on them. But Joshua does not want to allow them to have time to regroup, call for more aid, and possibly turn the tide of battle. And so he prays to God, asking the sun to stand still so that Israel can have more time to defeat their enemies. God answers his prayer. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky.
Joshua asks for the impossible, and God answers. Joshua courageously, and confidently made a request to God, and God gave him what he asked for.
Men, do you pray for the impossible? Do you have the faith to ask God to do something crazy? When you do, is your request confident or timid? Just because we ask God for something does not mean He is going to give it, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't ask. Sometimes God says no, other times He says not yet, and sometimes He says yes. The question is do we have the courage to ask, and the faith to believe He will answer? Are we willing to risk Him saying no? Are we afraid that He might say yes?
Joshua's prayer was answered because it lined up with what God had commanded him to do. He prayed for more time to achieve a victory God had sent him to claim. It was a big request, and made publically before the people, but he had the faith in God to ask. He was not afraid of hearing no, something was needed and so he boldly asked God.
Let us have the courage to pray big. Let us have the faith to ask God help us accomplish the things that He has called us to do. Let us be men who boldly pray for the impossible.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
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