dependence

  • John 11:6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick… (reflections on ministry, #2)

    Continuing from my last post, John 11:6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick… (reflections on ministry, #1)

    A few more reflections on ministry…

    The scope of our ministry

    There’s no way I could ever minister to everyone I see or hear of who is in need. Nor could any of you. That would be a sheer impossibility. The needs of people can be overwhelming at times, particularly as we read blog after blog here.

    We have to remember that God calls each one of us to minister to certain people. Unlike God, we’re not infinite. We’re going to see far, far too many needs out in the world. We’re not called to minister to the whole flock of God, but to a smaller flock, and perhaps we may be called to minister to a single sheep at a particular time. God alone is the Chief Shepherd. We’re undershepherds. (No, I’m not saying we are all pastors per se there; I don’t mean that.) We have to remember that the single soul is precious to the heart of God. God’s love for us is likened to the shepherd who left the flock of ninety-nine to go after and find that one lost sheep. Let’s not discount that private behind-the-scenes ministry God has for us. (Note to self.)

    Burnout comes when we start to think we have to minister to everyone we see. We can’t do that. And God won’t ever call us to do that. We must ask God to give us wisdom and discernment in this. We can trust God will equip us to minister to each soul He entrusts to us. That will stretch us, of course, which is good, because we do need to be reminded we can’t fulfill the calling He’s given us apart from total reliance on Him and His power.

    Hebrews 13:20  Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever.

    Of course, we can certainly be praying for those other souls, and we can and should be praying God would raise up other believers He wants to use to be His instruments of restoration in those people’s lives.

    The timing of our ministry

    There’s always the temptation for me to swoop in with help, and that help may very well be Biblically based (I’m hoping to write more on that soon), but it may be the wrong time. Once again, we must be asking God for discernment. “Is this person really ready to hear this?” “Are they mature enough?” “Is it time for me to listen a bit more, so I might have greater insight?” “Must the Holy Spirit be allowed more time to work to soften this heart to receive the word?” “Would this be too tough right now?” The right word given too soon will only be snatched up by Satan or choked away by the cares of life. The fallow ground may need to be broken up a bit more. It’s really hard to be patient in this.

    All that means we may end up watching someone get into a worse and worse state. That is probably one of the worst pains of ministry. Think of the father in the parable of the prodigal son, who waited for his son to return home. To know someone is making bad decisions and is oblivious and is inevitably making a clear path right into that pig sty, and yet in all that, God has His hand on you and is constraining you and saying, “No, not yet. This soul needs to begin to hunger for me even more. Then it will be time for you to go ahead and cast your pearls there. That soul will be sick of the corncobs, the pigs and the mud in a little while. Abide still in the same place where you are. I’ll let you know when you can go ahead.”

    That “little while” can be all but tormenting since you really do want that dear soul to avoid the pig sty at all costs. Yet you do know that trip to the pig sty is sometimes God’s ordained means to bring a wandering, rebellious soul to his senses. The Father’s times of loving discipline are precious and priceless, no, not pleasant at the time, but eternally profitable for sure. We must constantly ask to have God’s mind in these matters, so we don’t interfere or impair the Father’s refining work in another’s soul but rather work in concert with Him.

    The attitude of our ministry

    I can also be tempted to swoop in with Biblically-based help, and perhaps it is at the right time, but it’s all done in the wrong spirit and with the wrong attitude – the spirit of pride and superiority rather than humility. I can be self-serving rather than seeking to serve. I can minister out of vainglory or strife rather than out of love and gentleness. That’s far from the way of Christ, our suffering Servant, and His plan for us, His servants…

    Philippians 2:1  If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

    4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

    II Timothy 2:24  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

    One of our main goals in ministry ought to be that people come to rely on Christ alone. That means they shouldn’t be relying on any person, including me. It’s very nice to be relied upon. It makes you feel good, very good, but that’s dysfunctional for all who are involved. I don’t want anyone to come to rely on me more than they rely on Christ. If that’s happening, then I’m not being Christ’s minister, am I? I must always be pointing people to Christ and not me. Forgive me, Lord, for having done that. Keep me from idols, serving self being my greatest idol.

    The impartiality of our ministry

    It’s easy to spend time with and minister to our “favorite” people. We have to confess we all have such favorite people, those souls with whom we share more of a kindred spirit, those souls with whom we are more comfortable and safe. Yet God Himself is not a respecter of persons. So if there’s a time when God is calling us to minister to someone else, we can’t ever make our “favorites” a priority, but we must respond in obedience to God’s call to minister to whomever He sends us. Peter didn’t really think much of going to the gentiles, but what if he didn’t? May God give each of us the grace not to delay in helping any robbed, stripped, wounded, lonely soul He gives us eyes to see and a heart to serve on the Jericho road.

    I remember the time I was attending a family gathering and had prayed to witness to my unsaved family members there. Well, I ended up in the hotel pool one morning and had the opportunity to witness to a total stranger. Only later as I was reading that account of Peter in Acts, did I realize how unChristlike I was in my attitude. I’d not really prayed at all for God to give me opportunities to witness to whomever He was sending me. May He open our eyes to see the harassed and helpless sheep as He does. May He give us hearts of compassion to care and weep for them. After all, He has graciously shown compassion to us and saved us so we might go out in the harvest field with Him, has He not?

    Closing thoughts

    When I hear of a need out there, no matter who you are, no matter how dear you may be to me, if you’re someone God has called me to minister to, know that I may not come to you immediately, but like Jesus, I may delay and abide in the same place where I am for a time. But know that during the delay I am anguishing with you. I may not ever end up commenting on your post, but know that I will be praying for you. I may not message you immediately, but I will try to eventually. And, when God shows me you’re really dead in some sense, but you’re not seeing it, and you’re stuck in that tomb like Lazarus (i.e.- you’re persisting in walking in the flesh), as God calls me to do so, I’m going to come round and yell at you while you’re in that tomb, “Friend, come forth!” fully trusting that the Spirit of God will come and work through my works and will quicken you and help you to get walking once again in the Spirit by His Spirit. God’s desire for you is to have Christ formed in you and to have life abundantly and His joy to the full. I am praying these things for you.

    I love the Lord and I long to minister for Him according to His leading. I don’t want to be disqualified. Know that I am weeping with you when you are weeping, except I may not think it God’s time yet to come to you, but know that I am going to the throne of grace for you, to the God who is merciful, gracious and longsuffering and is able to sympathize with our weaknesses.

    I am privileged and blessed to be working with you for your joy and the joy of Xanga/Revelife and of the nations,
    Karen

    Related:

  • John 11:6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick… (reflections on ministry, #1)

    In a recent update, I shared how I’m often tempted to be impetuous:

    I’m so like Moses. Impetuous. Wanting to take things into my own hands.

    (Granted, what Moses did wasn’t condemned . . .

    Acts 7:23  “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24  And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. 25  He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand…
    . . . yet God had a much more grand and glorious plan to rescue His people from Egypt.)

    I look on others’ burdens and I want to do something: to say something, to write something . . .

    I get impatient . . .

    I’m impetuous . . .

    I’ve gotten into trouble time and again for jumping ahead of God . . . (you think I would learn).

    On the other hand, I’ve been abundantly blessed by God whenever I’ve bent my knees and bowed my neck and waited on Him and in prayer . . . (you think I would learn).

    So often I want to do something, do anything . . . but pray.

    I’ve been itching to speak, to write . . . but God has continue to check me . . . and call me back to the closet, back to prayer.

    That post was focusing on how God wanted me to be patient, to wait on Him and to pray more. That’s one way God has been checking me.

    But there’s another way God continues to check me.

    I think it’s best summarized in John 11:

    1  Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2  (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3  Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4  When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. 5  Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6  When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

    Did you catch that?

    When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he left the place where he was.

    No, no! It doesn’t say that, does it? Instead we read

    When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.


    We so often think of Jesus as coming to the rescue as soon as we call. Kind of like us calling 9-1-1. Well, yes and no. Yes, He does hear when we call, and He delights to hear our cries, and He does begin acting as soon as we cry (might we say He is acting before we cry, as He is the one drawing us to cry out to Him?). God knows what we need before we need it, but Jesus doesn’t necessarily respond or act in the way or in the time we might think. God’s plan is far, far bigger than what we might imagine and far, far beyond what might make sense to us.

    Isaiah 55:8  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

    Romans 11:33  O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! 34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35  Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

    Isaiah 30:18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. 19  For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. (I’d encourage you to keep reading that rest of the chapter.)

    God is God – and we are not. Isn’t that the lesson God continues to teach us while we remain here in these fleshly bodies?

    God’s thoughts and God’s ways and God’s wisdom and God’s knowledge and God’s timing and God’s workings are all about God and God’s glory…

    So it must be with each of us as we seek to minister in God’s Name.

    There are times when the LORD is waiting to be gracious to another soul that He will call us to wait (or, like Jesus, to have us abide two days still in the same place where we are). God may very well have us abide for a time before we visibly move, before we go to Bethany, so to speak, to help out a friend in need. (Note there: I said visibly move. I think we can correctly presume that Jesus had already been moving in prayer toward His Father’s throne, for He was absolutely certain of the will of His Father in this situation and He felt no hurry to leave the place He was at that time. In the same way, as soon as we hear of or see a need, we can begin moving in intercession for that soul.)

    For those of you who take Christian ministry seriously (I mean that in the broadest sense of the word, i.e. – we are all called to be ambassadors; we are all called to encourage one another daily, to admonish one another, etc.), when we hear of someone in need, isn’t our natural response to move, to go and do something? To write a comment. To answer that message. To say something. Don’t we sometimes end up like Moses? Or like Peter? Or like Abram and Sarai? Don’t we so often end up jumping ahead of God just because we think we have to do something, to do anything? Have to. Do we really have to? Aren’t there those times when we react out of our own will without even pausing a moment to ask God in prayer what His will is in the matter?

    Honestly, if we were in Jesus’ place and had heard about Lazarus’ sickness, wouldn’t most of us be sorely tempted to pack up ASAP and head straight away to Bethany? Yet we don’t see our Lord doing that, do we? We see Him content to wait on His Father’s timing because He had an eye to His Father’s glory.

    We also have to see that Jesus loved Lazarus, Martha and Mary. He loved them…and yet He waited.

    Just because we hear of or see a need doesn’t mean God wants us to move immediately.

    Just because we hear of or see a need doesn’t mean God wants us to do anything at all.

    Love for others sometimes means we will wait like Jesus when God is calling us to wait. (It may also mean not doing anything at all; that wasn’t the case in this incident, but it may be the case with us – more below.)

    Love for God and God’s glory means we will wait like Jesus when God is calling us to wait. (Again, it may also mean not doing anything at all. We need to seek God and what is to His glory.)

    There is a time to arise and go, but there’s also a time to abide still in the same place. May God clearly lead each of us in this.

    On my other site I’ve mentioned that one of my “strengths” is restorative. (Um, sorry, I can’t find that post. Grrr! One of my strengths is not organization, I’ve  concluded. ) Anyhow, the bottom line means I want to restore things. To fix things. To make it all better.

    That’s a very noble ambition, and it is rooted in the character of God.

    The fall has wrecked everything, and God’s plan in Jesus Christ is and has always been to bring restoration to this broken world, along with all its broken people. Our God is a God of restoration and renewal and redemption. Amen.

    When I see a problem, or when I see a friend hurting, or when I read of someone struggling, I want to be God’s instrument of restoration. (Even unbelievers have the image of God planted in them to some limited extent and they have similar desires. In much the same way, even unbelievers are grieved when they see people struggling and hurting, when they see the brokenness in the world, but, of course, they aren’t seeing the problems through God’s eyes and they aren’t relying on heavenly supplies to do anything about it and they certainly aren’t interested in the glory of God being done in all that.)

    That God-given desire in me to restore is a good desire, but since that desire has also been tainted by the fall, it must be sanctified – it must be walked out in the Spirit. In other words: not my ways, not my thoughts, not my wisdom, not my power, not my timing and not for my glory. As I minister it must be done according to God’s ways, God’s thoughts, God’s wisdom, in God’s power, in God’s timing…and always with an eye to God’s glory. That’s a mouthful for sure, but I trust you get the idea.

    In short: the best efforts wrought of my own flesh are never going to please or glorify God. In the end, ministry isn’t about results, it’s about God getting glory.

    I did have some other things here, but I’ve decided to break off the rest of that and include it in a second post here…

    Related:

  • the journey to Jericho (Joshua 4-6): the journey of dependence on the LORD

    Joshua 6:1  Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in.

    We like to get into the thick of the action, but let’s look back at what was happening prior to this point…

    God had given Joshua promises and encouragements, and Joshua passed them along to the people (Joshua 1).
    Joshua sent the two spies into the promised land; they obtained a good report from Rahab and were hidden by her (Joshua 2).
    Then the Lord then cut of the waters of the Jordan so all the people could walk across on dry land (Joshua 3).

    Now we come to Joshua 4. The people are ready…finally ready to take Jericho, ready to begin to take the land the Lord had promised them…so here comes the Lord’s command to Joshua. The men are poised for battle…Here it comes, right, the command to go…

    Joshua 4:1  When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, 2  “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, 3  and command them…

    “Ok. All right!” the people are thinking. “Good! Yes, we’re across Jordan now. Let’s get going. Jericho lies ahead! The promised land. It’s ours for the taking. Right? The LORD is surely giving us the go-ahead now to fight and battle. Joshua’s just getting the specifics now. Let’s go and hear what He’s told Joshua…”

    So, what was it the LORD spoke to Joshua anyhow?

    Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight…’

    What? What? What?

    “But, Joshua, but Lord, we’re ready to go here … We’re wasting time here moving these stones. We’re not here to move stones. We’re here to go into battle. We’re ready to take the land. You promised us the land, didn’t You? Isn’t it time for us to get to it?”

    But, My people, You’re not ready! First of all, I want you to remember something…I want You to remember Me! This journey is ultimately not about you, or about the land, but it’s about Me and My glory and My renown. Who called you to be a people? Who makes you ready? Who tells you when it’s time to take the land? Who’s given you this land? Who’s been faithful to you all those years in the wilderness? Who delivered you from Egypt? Who caused you to walk across the Jordan on dry land? What did you do to get yourselves here? Did you cause the waters to stand up in a heap? Did you? Did you?!”

    And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22  then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ 23  For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, 24  so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

    Just as the LORD did right at the beginning of Joshua, He reminds the people once more to keep Him central.

    A few questions to ask now … and as you continue reading …

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and forget Him?

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and forget Whose mighty power redeemed us and made us His children?

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and forget to give Him thanks and praise to Him?

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and forget to pray to the mighty LORD?

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and forget His promises to us?

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and forget His presence goes with us?

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and forget in Whose mighty power we are working?

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and not go into our rooms and shut the door so we might rely on Him and His power?

    Can we really say we are really working for God if we have not remembered Him?

    Can we really expect the shut up cities of Jericho if we have not kept Him central?

    (Isn’t it true that much of the battle is done in prayer itself?)

     

    All right, we’re now to Joshua 5. The memorial stones are set up at the end of Joshua 4.

    All Israel is across the Jordan, camped on the east side of Jericho. Certainly it’s time to take the land, right? Time to invade Jericho, right? After all, we see how the kings of the land were affected…

    Joshua 5:1 …their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel.

    Just as God had promised. It was time to go, right?

    Now what does the Lord command Joshua to do at this point?

    “Make flint knives…”

    “Ok. Right. We can use more weapons. Fine. Sounds good to us. We certainly know the LORD knows what’s He’s doing…”

    2  At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel a second time.”

    “What? What? What?” *understandable grimacing, wincing, assorted murmuring and grunting sounds…expletives…so on and so forth…*

    Certainly this makes no sense at all to us.

    First off, the Canaanite kings are back on their heels because of the word they heard about the LORD’s workings on behalf of Israel. Israel had a great psychological advantage here, why not take advantage of it?

    Second of all, I’m not a man, but I’d have to say that being freshly circumcised doesn’t exactly leave you in prime position for battle, does it? And not only that, but it would leave not only you but also your wives and children vulnerable to attack.

    The circumcision could wait, couldn’t it? Until after the taking of Jericho at any rate, or, even better, after all the land is taken. Then Israel would be in a strategically safer position.

    Of course, the Lord’s ways are higher than ours. His wisdom seems foolishness. Our weakness is opportunity for His strength. And all these things add up to make for His maximum glory as the story unfolds.

    A little more about circumcision. Let’s remember that the Old Testament circumcision is a picture of the New Testament circumcision of the heart, the circumcision made without hands (Col. 2) by the Holy Spirit. It’s the reminder that in and of ourselves we are nothing. A reminder that we come to Christ with nothing and we can do nothing apart from Christ…ever…Nothing!

    The sexual organ is central here. God’s saying something like this to Israel (and to us):

    My people, My redeemed, now that you’re here, now that I’ve delivered you out of Egypt, out of the kingdom of darkness where you were in bondage, if you begin to think you can bear fruit by your own efforts and schemes, think again! This circumcision is My sign to you, so you might be ever-mindful of your insufficiency. My circumcision is to remind you you are nothing and can do nothing apart from Me. Nothing!

    Remember back to Abraham. Remember when he and Sarah got anxious and didn’t rest in My promises. They jumped ahead of My timetable and enlisted the help of Hagar. The result? Ishmael: the child of flesh. But My work is never done in your fleshly efforts. Never. My work must always be done in My way. Always! It is always by My Spirit’s power and by your resting in My promises and obeying and trusting Me by faith. Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit! Period!

    So if you get any notion whatsoever, even a little inkling, that you’ll be able to take this land by yourself and in your own strength, think again. After all – Who brought you out of Egypt? Who allowed you to walk across Jordan just now on dry ground? Who? Who? Who?

    So, Joshua circumcises the Israelite men as the LORD commanded. They’re all rendered helpless just as they’re about to battle for Jericho. Physically helpless. Psychologically helpless. This is a perfect picture of our spiritual inability, isn’t it?

    God had the twelve memorial stones set up and the circumcision done all so Israel might keep the LORD central, to remember He is the LORD God alone and deliverance comes through Him and Him alone.

    Today as Christians we have the circumcision not made with hands, through the Holy Spirit. We have only come into the family of God and we only remain in the family of God and we can only walk in the works God’s ordained for us through the Holy Spirit of God, all to the glory of God alone. But how often do we grieve and quench the Spirit by forgetting God’s mighty power and His past workings in our lives and the life of His people throughout history? We are so tempted to walk in the flesh. How often do we foolishly expect to accomplish in our power what is only possible in the power of God?

    O, that we would remember God’s mighty power to save and our utter helplessness. That we might make Him preeminent in all we do. We get into trouble whenever we think we are sufficient in and of ourselves, don’t we? Christ is to be our life. Our life. Not just an appendage. He is to be our all in all. We have no life apart from Him. We can bear no fruit apart from Him. We can do nothing without Him.

    The Lord also reminds Israel here that He was the one who rolled away the reproach of Gilgal. Gilgal was that place where Israel was first ready to enter the promised land years before, and now God brought them back once more to the very place where they failed to trust God’s promises and shrunk back in disobedience and ended up wandering in the wilderness for forty years. But here we see God’s graciousness. He’s rolled away their reproach. They could do nothing, yet He graciously brought them back and brought them into the Promised Land in spite of their distrust and disobedience. Praise God that His Grace to us in Jesus Christ is greater than our sin! All day long He reaches His hands out to us!

    Finally, one more tangible reminder of God’s perfect provision for Israel:

    10  While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. 11  And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. 12  And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year. 

    On that very day…Hmm…Timely coincidence? No! Loving Providence!

    All right, so there they are, the nation of Israel, the men all having been circumcised, given time for healing. In the eyes of the uncircumcised world, they’re sitting ducks, are they not? Yet we see how the Lord miraculously protected and provided for them there. Let’s never doubt Him when He puts us into such vulnerable positions, when we are at the end of our own earthly strength and supplies. We can trust Him to provide for us in His perfect way and time.

    Finally, just in case Joshua and Israel still didn’t get it, that is, if they still didn’t understand their total dependence on the LORD, there’s something else – that interesting encounter Joshua has at the end of chapter 5 with the LORD Himself:

    13  When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” 14  And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” 15  And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

    Yes, I guess Joshua did just that, wouldn’t you?! (How do you manage to take off sandals when you’re already lying flat in the dust anyhow?)

    Not only do the people as a whole need reminders of their insufficiency, but God’s leaders do as well, and probably more so and more often. As soon as we are given any responsibility, we often let that go to our heads and forget that it is LORD alone who has placed us there.

    So, Karen, who’s in charge here, you or Me? Don’t forget, I’m the commander of the army here…You are My servant. Don’t let this go to your head.

    *gulp* *prostrating* *taking off sandals* “Yes, Lord. Remind me, Holy Father, I will forget…You know how often I allow the pride of life to carry me away from the meek and humble spirit of Your blessed Son Jesus. Keep me in Your easy yoke. Help me to learn of You, Lord Jesus.”

    Who are we that God chose us to save us from hell in the first place? Who are we that He commissions each of us to be His ambassadors here in His Kingdom work? Who are we? Brands plucked out of the fire! Unworthy and unprofitable servants? O, would that we might have David’s humble attitude (II Samuel 7):

    “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?…”

    Like the disciples, we too quickly become full of ourselves, rather than being filled with the Spirit, we become puffed up and begin to lord it over others and jockey for position and forget that to be great in the Kingdom we are to be servants of all, to wash feet, to lay down our lives for our friends…

    Now we’ve finally gotten to Joshua 6.

    Joshua 6:1 Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in.And the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor…”

    The people are probably thinking once again,

    “Ok! All right! The Lord has given Jericho into our hand…yes, and hear what He’s saying there: He’s including the king and the mighty men of valor. Victory is ours! Resistance is futile! Let’s roll! Let’s get ready for battle…”

    So, just to make it clear that God really means business about our being wholly dependent on His plan and His ways, we see His plan for action to take Jericho in chapter 6 involved a bit more waiting…

    1  Now Jericho was shut up inside and outside because of the people of Israel. None went out, and none came in. 2  And the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. 3  You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. 4  Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5  And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”

    God seems to like to have His people wait doesn’t He? Most of us don’t do waiting very well, do we? No wonder patience and self-control are included as part of the fruit of the Spirit! God orchestrates circumstances so we might rely on Him and no longer on ourselves: it’s all about His timing, His ways, His power, His provision. He calls the shots, we do not! Man proposes, God disposes!

    So Israel has encountered what they might view as another delay: they’re told to march around the city.

    “Ok. We can do that. One time around and then we’re in! Yesssss! –– What? You say not just once. How many times? How long? Six days. What sense does that really make? We’re ready to go here?”

    You can imagine that the men might be pretty antsy at this point. They’ve been sitting around healing after the circumcisions. And now…testosterone rising much? Notice these men are “all the men of war.” Men of war.  War. They’re geared to fight and take the city. But what does God have them do? March. And march. And march…

    What kind of work is this marching around the city for men of war? Well, it’s the same work we ought to be doing as we prepare for battle. We are in a spiritual battle, are we not? But how often do we try to fight it with the weapons of this world? How often do we try to fight apart from marching, for example, how do we attempt to fight apart from the all-important and vital preparatory prayer work. How often do we rush to make a frontal attack when we see the city shut up and those tall walls of Jericho when instead we ought to be rushing off and and shutting the door to our closet and dropping to our knees where we might plead with God for souls and march around the hearts that are shut up around all around us to the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

    We are all so tempted to do, do, do. We are all so wanting to work, work, work, aren’t we? To speak, to write, to act. We ache to do just about anything but pray. May our Savior who ever lives to intercede for us grant us abundant grace to march around those shut up cities in the ministry of prayer, to tarry with Him regularly at the throne of grace.

    Once again I’ll bring you the questions I included earlier…

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and forget Him?

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and forget Whose mighty power redeemed us and made us His children?

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and forget to give Him thanks and praise to Him?

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and forget to pray to the mighty LORD?

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and forget His promises to us?

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and forget His presence goes with us?

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and forget in Whose mighty power we are working?

    How often do we jump ahead into working for God and not go into our rooms and shut the door so we might rely on Him and His power?

    Can we really say we are really working for God if we have not remembered Him?

    Can we really expect the shut up cities of Jericho if we have not kept Him central?

    (Isn’t it true that much of the battle is done in prayer itself?)

     

    As we reflect on the journey to Jericho, may we remember that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours, that His plans are all for His maximum glory and His intent is to keep us ever mindful that all we have and all we can do is through His power and might alone, not through us. May He give us patience to wait on Him, to rely on Him, to pray to Him, to follow His plans, for when we are weak, He is strong, and His foolishness is wiser than the wisdom of men! Amen and Amen.

    Psalm 115:1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory,
    for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

    In what current situation are you struggling to trust and rely on Lord?

    Related:

    Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.