Joshua Keeps Showing Up

Last Wednesday night we were at church listening to a teaching on healing and a friend's face kept appearing in my mind.  I knew he was sitting a few rows back so I went back to ask him if everything was ok.  God often gives me images of people when I pray for them or if I need to, so I thought maybe I needed to pray for him.  He shared the frustrating day he had had but spoke about how God showed up and worked it all out for him, as God does.  But then he went on to say he had been feeling the urge to read the book of Joshua and he related it to situations in his life.  Turns out God was speaking to me through this friend and that was why I kept getting his image.

I have been getting the Joshua and Jericho story so often lately.  Like in my garden meditation times, online at a blog, and in a teaching I was listening to online.  I wrote a post about Joshua and cancer HERE .  God let me know the walls of cancer were destroyed.

The words from a friend made reference #4, so I knew I needed to pay attention.  I have been trying to find some Bible based teachings on Joshua, but was not coming up with much, so Joel and I decided we would start reading it and let God speak to us through His Word.

Joshua seems to be all about trust and obedience.  I am sure Joshua was a bit surprised when God told him how to fight for the city of Jericho..  Quietly marching around the walls?  Blowing rams horns? One loud shout?  Obeying brings great rewards...........the walls of Jericho fell!  BUT remember when the walls fell down?  Victory was theirs but troubles did not end. I am sure that in this life troubles will continue to come against us, so it may be what we do with them and how we handle them that gives us that victory we are hoping for.  Was this the message God was sending?

Today as I watched a video of yesterday's service at Bethel, I heard Bill Johnson speak on prayer, praise, and Joshua. (#5) He talked about prayer and action and what resulted when Joshua did as God commanded. Prayer removes the obstacle to victory as seen in Joshua 6.  He trusted God's commands and in obedience the Israelites walked around the walls in silence until God told them to walk and then shout on day seven.  When they did that, the walls came down, but they STILL had to conquer the enemy and take the city after those walls collapsed. Prayer, worship, and action.  Another way to look at the story of Jericho.

I don't know what all God is going to teach us through Joshua, but I am seeing glimpses of insights into where He is leading as He brings to light His plan through such words as trust, obedience, prayer, worship, and action.  Joshua looked beyond his circumstances to the victory promised by God.  Certainly that holds weight for all of us.  Praising God for what we cannot yet see....victory.