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Prepare: ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD’ (Isaiah 55:8, NIV). Pray that through his Word today the Lord will bring your thoughts and ways into line with his.
Strange tactics
Imagine what it must have been like to hear Joshua’s strange command as the people prepared to take Jericho. What a very strange way of besieging a city! The city is tightly shut up (v 1) but there is to be no storming of the walls and no attempts to undermine them either.
This exercise must have looked bizarre to the inhabitants of Jericho, too. Are these really the armies of the living God they’ve been so afraid of?
God’s ways
All this must have been a true test of Joshua’s leadership – showing just why all those earlier assurances that he really was the person of God’s calling were really necessary. These plans, however, are not Joshua’s but God’s. Joshua merely passes them on.
And as we saw yesterday God’s ways are not ours, and we are to ally ourselves with his plans, not try to get him to endorse ours. In the end the taking of Jericho will be a demonstration of the power of God alone, and the fulfilment of the promise he’s already made even before the ‘attack’ begins: ‘See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands’ (v 2, NIV).
Respond: How might God be asking you to trust him in something apparently strange and illogical? Pray for him to give you all the faith you need.
http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-02-09
Strange tactics
Imagine what it must have been like to hear Joshua’s strange command as the people prepared to take Jericho. What a very strange way of besieging a city! The city is tightly shut up (v 1) but there is to be no storming of the walls and no attempts to undermine them either.
This exercise must have looked bizarre to the inhabitants of Jericho, too. Are these really the armies of the living God they’ve been so afraid of?
God’s ways
All this must have been a true test of Joshua’s leadership – showing just why all those earlier assurances that he really was the person of God’s calling were really necessary. These plans, however, are not Joshua’s but God’s. Joshua merely passes them on.
And as we saw yesterday God’s ways are not ours, and we are to ally ourselves with his plans, not try to get him to endorse ours. In the end the taking of Jericho will be a demonstration of the power of God alone, and the fulfilment of the promise he’s already made even before the ‘attack’ begins: ‘See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands’ (v 2, NIV).
Respond: How might God be asking you to trust him in something apparently strange and illogical? Pray for him to give you all the faith you need.
http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-02-09
Scripture
About this Plan
WordLive provides a daily slice of Bible reading and commentary that, over four years, covers most of the Bible. The commentary encourages the reader to engage with the Bible passage in order to deepen their relationship with God, through reflection and practical application. The WordLive website offers further multimedia content and group Bible study, while registration offers a daily email, journal and bookmarking, and community tools.
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We would like to thank Scripture Union England & Wales for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: www.wordlive.org/youversion
