About the Lord

Day one hundred eighty-five

I appreciate that we have a day set aside to help us remember that in spite of all the problems we have in America it is still a great place to live.  It is a time to remember why this country was established and all the sacrifices that people have made so that we can continue to live the life we are blessed with.  It is a day to reflect on and thank God for His hand in the creation of this great country.  May all Americans have a great and safe Fourth of July wherever they may be!

Joshua 10-11

Chapter 10 opens with 5 of the kings of Canaan joining forces to attack Gibeon because they had made a peace treaty with the people of Israel. These 5 kings didn't know it, but they were playing right into the hand of Joshua. Now, instead of having to pick them off one at a time, they came together and he was able to defeat them all together. Remember that the Israelites had been tricked into making a peace treaty with the people of Gibeon. Now, it was time for Israel to make good on their promise to protect the Gibeonites. For Israel it is just another battle in the conquest of the Promised Land, but for us, it is a vivid picture of the life of a Christian.

Battles are a reality in our lives, but we never have to face them alone, "...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Heb. 13:5); also "and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matt. 28:20).  In our daily battles, we have the promise, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (Psa. 46:1). 

Although we may find ourselves in physical battles, the majority of our battles are of a spiritual nature, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual  wickedness in high places" (Eph 6:12).  Therefore, our weapons must be spiritual as well, "(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) "  (2 Cor 10:4).

With that in mind, let's join Joshua and the armies of Israel as they fight their battle. As we observe them in their day of battle, there are some very special lessons that we can learn that will help us when we face the day of battle. 

As I begin to gather the information for this post it became clear that this is another one of those situations where there would be too much information for one post.  So today is part one:

ABOUT THE LORD (vv 6-15)

 Verses 9-14 He Gives His Power - In these verses, we see a mighty demonstration of the power of the Lord in the life of Israel. God moved in a great manifestation of divine power and gave His children the victory. He moved in 2 ways.

In The Hail (v 11) - "..the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword."

In The Heavens (vv 12-14) - Here we see the Lord perform the greatest miracle ever recorded in regard to the physical world. God stopped the sun in the heavens and extended the daylight hours for Joshua and his army to finish the battle.

What does this mean for us? Well, there are times when the Lord will intervene in our lives and He will fight our battles for us. Maybe it will come in the form of being healed or some form of protection.  It can be different for each person who experiences such manifestations of His power.  The truth is that the Lord moves in response to the need of His children and if it requires moving a mountain He will get them what they need. 

Please understand, He doesn't always work like that.  And just because we have not had a personal experience with such a manifestation of His power, it doesn't mean He isn't working in our lives.  He is there, we just might not see Him as quickly as we would with such an experience.  We have to trust in His wisdom when it comes to these matters. 

Of all the spiritual weapons we can have in our arsenal, I would think having the power of God on your side would be the number one choice.  There is a quote I like that deals with this subject:

"The task ahead of us is never as great as the power behind us!"  ~ Unknown

What source are you seeking power from?  There is nothing we cannot overcome if we have the right power source behind us!