Tuesday, 28 April 2020 Joshua 10:1-15
There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the LORD answered such a prayer. Surely the LORD fought for Israel that day! -Joshua 10:14[NLT]
Each time we reflect on how God loves to answer genuine prayers for His children, it’s amazing! I feel God takes real joy in answering it big. Every step of advancement in the faith realm opens avenues as never before.
Remember how Joshua stood in fear after the death of Moses. God had really done great work in this man to make him strong. "Moses My servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, .......Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.”(Joshua 1:2-7) His first success came when he saw the River Jordan, which was overflowing its banks, went dry in a miraculous way and paved the way for the Israelites to cross over to the Promised land. Then the victory of Jericho-wall falling without any human intervention! Ai finally fell before Israel and the whole region of Canaan was in turmoil. Every step was a step of victory for the Joshua generation as they marched according to God’s commands. This led to an increased measure of faith in the lives of people including Joshua.
Joshua learned his lessons very well. As we know, this chapter records multiple victories won by Joshua and Israel. They won an astounding victory over five kings and their kingdoms at one go and they also saw their command over nature through prayer. God has made such an arrangement before the praying saints that He can bring glory to His name. He allowed the enemy camp to gather together against the advancing Israel. They were a real threat to the people of God, but the victory won for Jerusalem and Hebron is worth remembering. God brought the sun and moon to a standstill in their trajectory to assist the completion of victory and also, fought against the enemies with a hailstorm. Nature was in turn assisting the children of God to fight their battle against their enemies. The Lord worked on behalf of His children who were guided by His instructions.
How can we live such a life of supernatural power in our day to day lives? This is only possible with a life that is completely surrendered for the Lord Jesus. As we read in the beginning, God had done a thorough change in Joshua before he could lead Israel into these kinds of astounding victories. He learned well under the guidance and mentoring of Moses. Also, he learned the Word of God and walked in it without fault. Thus he lived his life and instructed Israelites at his death concerning walking with God. Joshua 24:15: "But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD."
Life application:
We need to grow in our prayer and faith life to face challenging situations, where we see the miracle-working hand of God leading us triumphantly.