I’ve been reading the book of Joshua in my devotional time each morning. Today, in Joshua 6, the Israelites marched around the city of Jericho a bunch of times, blew the trumpets, shouted, and then watched as the city walls crumbled.
That’s it. That is all they did… because God did the rest. All they had to do was trust Him and obey. And for the most part they did. (All except for a guy named Achan, who disobeyed God’s instructions. The results were catastrophic for him and others, but that’s in Joshua chapter 7, and left for another day.)
As I pondered this military strategy, I wondered if any military general would come up with a similar plan for attacking an enemy city like this. I doubt it. Why? Because it doesn’t make sense. But maybe that’s the point. Sometimes God just doesn’t make sense. He operates in a realm we cannot fathom or understand. He even told us as much in Isaiah 55:8-9…
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (NIV)
And yet we still try to figure Him out, or second guess His ways, or counsel Him, even instructing Him, explaining to the One who sits on the Throne in heaven why He should do what I want, as if my plans or ways are better than His.
Sounds pretty silly when you think about it. But that’s what we often do. Or, if I personalize it and get truly honest… that what I often do. I’m pretty sure this is why Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of my favorite passages in the entire Bible:
Trust in the LORD with all you heart, And lean not on your own understanding,
But in all your ways, acknowledge Him, And He will lead your paths straight.
Those words are worth memorizing. Let them sink in and settle deep in your heart and soul. Let them guide you in life as well. Trust God. You don’t have to have it all figured out. Let Him guide you because His ways are better than yours and He will take care of you. He has a plan and it’s worth following.
Which leads me back to marching around Jericho and their walk of faith. Because that’s exactly what it was: A walk of faith. They trusted God and walked around the city, in silence, once a day for a week, and then seven times on the seventh day. I’m pretty sure the people inside Jericho were watching this wondering, “what’s going on?” And I imagine many of the Israelites also wondered the same thing. What’s going on? Is this all we have to do? Walk in silence and trust God?
Yes.
It’s a great example for us today as well. When God makes it clear He wants you to do something, obey immediately and then walk with Him in silence until He tells you to do something else.
Henry Blackaby’s Bible study, Experiencing God, taught me two incredible life principles that pertain to walking with God in faith:
- When God tells you and me to do something… obey immediately. Our Lord may orchestrate circumstances in your life and mine that create a “crisis of faith.” In those moments, what God is asking from us may not make sense and will force you to step out in faith. What you and I do in that moment says more about our faith in God than anything else. Obey immediately – even if you don’t understand.
- The second thing is not to try to figure out what God is going to do next. I’ve never been successful in that! Blackaby says that if what God is asking you to do makes sense to you, then it’s probably not from God! Ha! That’s so true.
I can look back over my life and see where God was leading me to make major decisions that didn’t make sense to me. For example, I joined the Army at age 41. Who does that? We later moved away from family in Arizona and ended up in a small town in Montana about an inch away from Canada on the map. Again, who does that? I never dreamed we’d live there in a million years, but God did. And we recently moved again; totally out of the blue and to another city that was never on my radar. But we felt God was leading us, so we went.
But that’s the walk of faith. It usually doesn’t make sense. It will be confusing and scary and costly… but do it anyway. Trust God and step out in faith. Why? Because I don’t have to have it all figured out or explained to me ahead of time. And because God rewards obedience and will bless you and me for trusting Him. I can promise you that!
Ps: the photo above is of the city of Jericho. God recently blessed me with the opportunity to take a trip to Israel and see many of the sights I’ve only read about in the pages of Scripture. Including Jericho. I walked around the ruins of Jericho in silence. In awe of God.
