Does life look a little better around that mountain? Around the next corner?
Joshua lifted up his eyes and behold! A Man with a sword drawn. A Man of War. Some commentaries translate the name as the Eternal Word. Christ appears to Joshua to encourage him to fight the good fight. He appears to Joshua as exactly what Joshua needs to hear and see and be and do. This day, this life, this Christ appears to each of us to be what our faith needs. Joshua 3:13-15. Oh! God! We need you so! Be the Captain of our Souls. Be what we need this day!
Expectations. Joshua 7:5. Their hearts melted cause they didn't get what they wanted. Do we expect God to make us happy, meet our needs, give us what we want, our self-indulgence? Are we missing the Divine Grace of God over us by seeking happiness here. Or are we here to do the whole will of God? Expectations have been a question I've held for years. I got my answer a few years ago. Matthew Henry says about these verses: Shouldn't our dark days, our trials, our failures, be seen as an opportunity for reformation.
PRAYER FROM PSALMS
Psalm 7:12 ~ Dear God, if we do not repent relent, You will sharpen your Sword. O God! May it never be for us! Why is it so few talk about repentance today. They preach what we want to hear---tickling our ears. There is no other way but to fall on our faces before you and repent of what we have done wrong like the Israelites who were way-too-comfortable.
OVERVIEW: Joshua 5-8
Victory was won once and all for us on the Cross, however we cannot expect to stand and contend in hard situations life throws us if we do not confess our sins and truly repent just as the Sons of Israel lost a battle.
ReplyDeleteCome Holy Spirit, convict us of our sin. Show us what we buried instead of confessing.
Well, I wrote something and blogger did not like my fingers and did not accept when I hit publish. I do want to stand in victory and not defeat. I am so like the Israelites, makes me ill. I find I want to be comfortable, I want to know what is ahead in certain areas of my life. I want a security that I can not see, but truly have to trust and wait in faith on my God. How I desire for Him to be the Captain of my soul today and every day.
ReplyDeleteI do see in hindsight how trials and tribulations worked a transforming power in days and years past and I see Him transforming my son before my very eyes through dark things that are happening and have happened to him. It is so hard to "see" when we are in the darkness of the trial.Praying for more light in the next dark time that comes to me. Praying for victory for each one of us this day.