Another good morning! I am CONTINUALLY INSPIRED BY YOUR WORDS!!!! THANKS SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS!
Joshua chapter 5.
This was a short chapter but there seemed to be a lot in there to learn from. God is working in so many different ways preparing the way for the Israelites to defeat their enemies.
- God did the Jordan River Miracle when it was at its worst: flooded and turbulent. He could have worked it out that they crossed when it was at its lowest calmest point. Doing the miracle that he did ended up encouraging the Israelites for they got to see once again God's miracles. But he also used the miracle as a way putting fear in the enemy and sucking out their courage. God has a reason for the things that he does even when things look difficult.
- God wanted to make sure they were ready not just physically and mentally but also spiritually so He had them circumcised.
- God also provided food for the Israelites from The Promised Land so they could eat their produce. After having their first meal from The Promised Land, God quit sending Manna to them from the ground like he had done for such a long long time. It's funny, because I forgot all about this miracle that he was doing for them everyday. You don't read anything about it. You wonder if such a miracle got mundane with the Israelites? Like they just expected it? You wonder if they lost the appreciation because they were so used to it?
My fear is that God does miracles for me everyday but after awhile I fear I expect it, or don't even think about them because I'm used to them.
Such miracles would include: I can breathe. I can walk. I can work. I can do ministry. I have a roof over my head. I can think. I can speak. I have food. I can worship openly. I'm not arrested for having a Bible. I have a beautiful wife and two daughters and three grandkids. I can reason. I can pray.
I just spoke with a friend of mine who had a stroke over a year ago. He gave me an update of his physical body. He looks fine on the outside but he said it's hard for him to put his thoughts together and ask for me to pray for him that he would be able to pray to God. He said it's hard to pray because it's hard for him to put his thoughts together to even pray to the Lord.
Shame on me for complaining when every day God is blessing me with miracles in my life. Shame on me for not recognizing and being thankful for these miracles.
- Last but not least, I want to be able to approach God with the same attitude that Joshua had when he was standing before the commander of God's army.
Joshua was humbled by God's messenger.
Joshua was eager to hear what the man had to say from the Lord.
When I come before God in prayer and Bible reading I want my heart to be humble before the Lord. I want to read his word and be so open for what the spirit has to say to me through his messenger, the Bible. I want to be obedient to these words.
Verse 15 reminded me of Exodus 3:5.
Then He said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”
Moses had heard these words when he had an encounter with God at the burning bush. Now Joshua has a similar experience when he meets the commander of the Lord’s army. After Joshua was told what to do, we simply read at the end of the chapter that Joshua did so.
May we be quick to obey the Lord’s directions just like that.
V13-15 In these verses I believe we see the Lord appearing to Joshua. I believe that because an angel would not accept worship. On the plains of Mamre, the Lord appeared to Abraham as a pilgrim because Abraham was a traveler (see Genesis 18). Here the Lord appeared to Joshua as a man of war because Joshua was on the verge of war. When Joshua asked the Warrior if He was for him or against him, he was told “no”. See, it wasn’t an issue of whose side the Lord was on, it was whose side Joshua was on. It’s at this point that Joshua falls on his face in worship. The Lord was essentially saying that just as He was with Moses, He was with Joshua (see Exodus 3:5).
I need to remember to lift up my eyes when facing my own battles just as Joshua did so that I don’t miss seeing the Lord in the circumstances and people around me. Again, I drawn strength from one of my favorite verses, Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.