Joshua 6:1-20 Now Jericho
was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none
came in. And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given
Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. You
shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all
around the city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests shall
bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you
shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the
trumpets. It shall come to pass, when they make a
long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound
of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the
wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man
straight before him.”
This last Sunday, Pastor
Obie continued in our church’s “Out of/Into” sermon series. Life can be rather
competitive at times, and it is important to know you have the victory. But,
the fact is that some things have to die, like doubt and disobedience, in order
to enter into the “Promised Land” of God promise. Certain things, like bad
habits, have to go, and we need to keep them buried so that they don’t dig out
and hinder us. We must change our methods and mindsets as life changes appear
on life’s journey.
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 “Concerning
this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from
me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My
strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will
rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon
me.”
Pastor Obie explains that
strength is grown through the struggles of life. We do not live on “mountaintop
experiences” and the fact of the matter is that the challenges of “desert
seasons” prepare us for new “Promised Land” seasons. We must rely on God and
trust in His strength; not our own. Have faith and do not delay to obey,
knowing that it is “through the struggle”, not “around the struggle”, that
builds strength. Have complete confidence in Almighty God’s process. Recognize
and understand that our Heavenly Father waits till we are adequately ready and
properly prepared to handle our calling and purpose.
Joshua 6:20 “So
the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it
happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted
with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up
into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.”
Pastor Obie points out that when
God says: “See! I have given Jericho
into your hand”, He is saying to very child of God that you’re not fighting
for victory, but are fighting from victory! But, is that all there is to it?
Let’s continue Pastor Obie’s
message on “Out of the Battle and into victory” in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment