BIBLE MEDITATION:
Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:8
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Joshua had an encounter with the pre-incarnate Christ in the Old Testament near Jericho (see Joshua 5). His first words to Him were, “Art Thou for us, or for our adversaries?” (v.13).
Joshua was scouting out Jericho because it was a formidable city standing between the children of Israel and their land of promise. It looked like there was no way Israel could take Jericho.
In each of our lives, the devil has placed a special Jericho, looming before us as an impossible barrier between us and what God wants for us, between us and the dreams of our youth, between us and the will of God, between us and the best ambition of our hearts. Our Jericho says, “You would have made it, but I’m here to keep you from entering your promised land.”
Your Jericho may be an unhealthy body, an unhappy marriage, an unholy life, lack of education, past defeats–something insurmountable. You can do one of two things: turn around, go back, and die in the wilderness of unbelief. Or, as Joshua did, face that fortress by faith and conquer it.
Notice the Lord’s answer to Joshua: “Nay; but as Captain of the host of the Lord am I now come” (v. 14). He didn’t come to take sides, He came to take over.
Jesus is the Captain of the host of heaven. This Conqueror with the drawn sword came to give Joshua a message of victory.
ACTION POINT:
The victory of Jericho was a victory of faith. Nothing less will achieve victory. The lesson in all the book of Joshua can be found in one sentence: Victory is not achieved by fighting; it is received by faith. You will never know victory until you lay your sword at His feet, bow yourself before His Mighty Throne, and worship Him.
