Seasons

In Genesis God set up the seasons: “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

So those of us who long to be rid of change, settle into the “perfect” life, aren’t aware that seasons and change are part of what God set up to be!

Seedtime is maybe not so fun, because it’s hard work planting and digging.  But oh, then comes the harvest.

Cold or heat may not be our choice, because we’d like 72 degrees, but the heat makes us appreciate the coolness of the day, and the cold makes us enjoy the warmth of a fire.

Summer and winter – two opposites in terms of temperatures – and yet both are part of the circle of the year.

Day and night – a time to be busy and a time to rest – all part of the change from light to dark and then back to light again.

I actually love the change of seasons, except I wish the seasons where l live were a little more pronounced,  But changes in life aren’t near as welcome…unless they’re good ones that suit me!

If God set up the seasons, which he did, then we can trust that if we are suffering in one season, another one is coming where the sun is more visible and the rain is not so hard…and that he is in control of the changes.

And that makes them good.

With Him

Last of Joshua 6:

So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.

Joshua was the leader of that incredible march we’ve been writing about the past few days.  Not only did he convey God’s unusual directions, he had to be the one to lead the people to follow.  Getting them to follow and obey must have been quite a feat for him.

I’m curious what he did to obtain such a following of obedience.  

People can see right through leaders who are in a quest for their own agenda.

Joshua wasn’t like this.  At every turn, he had faith in God and his word and his promises.  I think the people saw that and they responded to it.

People will respond when we humble ourselves and obey the Lord out of love and honor for Him. 

And when the victory comes, it will be evident that the “Lord was with” us, just like he was with Joshua.

Are you leading a family, a group, your own life, or others?  Fall in love and in step with God and his word and his unusual ways, and embrace them.

And when the victories come, you won’t need to exalt yourself.  Your name may become well-known, but it will be due to you first giving honor to His name.

Blessed be the God that we serve that leads us into enemy camps and causes us to take huge victories in our lives.

Nothing is impossible for Him.  When we believe and obey.

Straight In

Joshua 6 cont’d:

When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city. They devoted the city to the Lord…

Right before the walls fell, the people were told to devote this spoil, this city, to the Lord.  They couldn’t just obey, walk, and see the walls collapse and go on their own way.  No, they had to devote their win to the Lord.

So they shouted, and they shouted loudly.

The walls fell; in fact, they collapsed into the ground!

The people went in and conquered, experiencing the answer – the promise.

And then…

They devoted the city to the Lord.

Sometimes…we obey, we walk, we grow weary, we almost stop, but we barely hang on…and the answer comes.

And we forget to devote our success to the Lord.

What a cool, complete, circle of hearing God’s word, obeying it even when it seems silly and laborious, and then giving everything back to Him.

That’s a walk and a march worth taking.

It's Yours

Joshua 6 cont’d:

On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city! 

If the people weren’t weary enough, on the seventh day – the day when the promise was to be fulfilled – they were told to march around seven times in one day.  And then they were directed to shout for the outcome (the city) before they actually received it.

There must have been great anticipation that morning when the people awoke, but I wonder if any were doubters.  Or was the preparation, the united obedience to God’s word, and the walking for six days prior all completely faith-building and there was no doubt that “today was the day!?”

I know that many times we are told to walk in obedience and that the hours just before the answer seem to be the hardest.  And crying out with a shout of victory when we are the most tired seems crazy, doesn’t it?

But I love the God we serve, because he’s not like we are, he doesn’t perform like we tell him to, and he always does what is right, to bring about a good ending – glory to his name.

Shout today, ahead of the victory that’s coming...

Keep Marching

Joshua 6 cont’d:

The armed men went ahead of them and the rear guard followed the ark of the Lord, while the trumpets kept sounding.  So on the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. They did this for six days.

On the seventh day, they got up at daybreak and marched around the city seven times in the same manner, except that on that day they circled the city seven times. 

Here they go…marching for six days without a result one.

However, God didn’t say the results would come in the beginning of obeying Him. He said the results would come at the end of the obedience of ALL they had been told to do.

We get weary when we feel we’ve heard from God or read his word, and we set out marching, looking for the impossible to become possible. 

One time around…nothing.

Two times around…nothing.

Three times…four…five…then six.

Was God going to come through on his promise?  Surely, some of the people wondered.

However, they continue to obey.

That kind of faith requires perseverance and patience, two P’s that don’t come to us easily.

If you’re weary, keep marching.  God is right beside you and will do what he says he will do.

Two Things

Joshua 6 cont’d:

When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the Lord went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant followed them. The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 

It was an odd directive given to Joshua, a man of faith (remember he was the one who entered the land of giants and came back with a good report of going in to conquer, when other guys were afraid.)  And Joshua took God’s directive and shared it with the people.

Amazingly enough, the people obeyed this odd set of directions to march, blow, and shout.

It’s one thing for us to clearly hear what God says, and it’s another for those we lead (our families or churches) to go along with it.

I suppose the main thing is to really know what God is saying… and then the equally main thing is to really believe and obey.

Both things have to be in place for victory to result:  hearing HIM and obeying HIM in all that he says to do.

The Directive

Joshua 6 cont’d  - God gave a directive to march around a secured city for six days.  Now he says more…

Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.

Was there any power in the march, the blowing of the trumpets, or the loud shout?  In other words, did that cause the wall of the city to come down?

The power came in the faith and the obedience of a people who heard God to do what he said to do.

Has God ever told you something “crazy” to do?  Maybe he says to bake your boss a cake, even though he’s the meanest guy on earth.  Perhaps he whispers to plan a date for your  husband when he seems to care less.  Or what if he tells you to love your enemies? (Oh wait, he has said that!)

I cannot imagine being part of this march around the city, blowing trumpets and shouting.  But it sounds pretty cool 

Do whatever he says to do, when victory is promised.  And then stand amazed.