Today’s Scripture: Joshua 6:1-20
When the angel appeared to Joshua, the Israelites were facing the fortified city of Jericho. The walls around the city stood six feet thick and twenty-six feet high. It had to be unnerving to Joshua and the people. The Lord, however, was unfazed, because He was the one with the battle plan, and He assured them before the fact, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands.” All the people had to do was trust and follow orders.
I’m not sure what psychology—if any—God was using with the Israelites and the people of Jericho. Some Bible scholars believe the Lord wanted to intimidate the people of Jericho as they watched thousands of Israelites march silently around their city for six days. I wonder if it was more about a test of resolve on the part of the Israelites than it was the width of the walls.
We’ve all faced six-foot thick situations that were beyond our own ability to conquer. Too often, I’ve jumped in with my own knee-jerk plan rather than check in with God. Sometimes I couldn’t wait six minutes, let alone six days. The results? Complete failure.
What a difference it would make if we followed the Jericho battle plan: Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voice, and do not say a word until the Lord releases you to do so (see Josh. 6:10). Then, we won’t have to lift a finger. We just lift our voice in a shout of victory and watch the walls fall.
- What wall is in your way? How long would you be willing to wait before the Lord releases you? How will you know you’ve been released to act?