I picked up my Bible the other day and noticed my underlining and circling of scripture. The motion of circling something helps me keep focused and signals its importance serving as a powerful reminder of God’s faithfulness.
Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.” — Joshua 6:2-5
Joshua is at the cusp of Jericho but needs to get through the walls that are around the city. God tells him how it is going to happen and the three things the Israelites need to do.
- Claiming.
This story is about of how the walls of Jericho fell but also how the people had to believe God’s promises and claim them for themselves. There are 4,000+ promises in the Bible yet how often do I settle for safe or something I think I can control rather than claiming His Word when it’s too big for me? Lord you want me to just walk around tall walls once a day for six days and that’s it?? Are your goals, prayers, and obedience set by your human standards & resources or through the eyes of a God with higher ways & unlimited resources? What promises does God want you to stake claim to in your situation right now?
- Listening.
They were instructed to march around the city silently. Getting 2M men to march quietly must have been pretty challenging. But then again men have few words to say to each other! The idea is to lean into God by listening; what is He saying to you about your current circumstances?
- Circling.
They circled the city walls 13 times over 7 days. The promise was delivered by God alone and nothing the men did physically. They simply walked in obedience and added nothing to God’s plan. This motion of going around and through challenges me. What if I did the same to my “Jerichos” instead of trying to handle them in my own strength?
God honors bold prayers because bold prayers honor God. I am finding when we pray and act in obedience like Joshua, it’s not our reputation on the line but God’s reputation. God doesn’t answer prayer to give us what we want but He answers prayer to bring glory to His name.
Reflection |
What is your current Jericho that you need claiming, listening, and circling?