I'm sure most of us are familiar with the story about Joshua and Jericho. I do not think I ever pondered what this story is about until now. Joshua had to lead his army to bring down the walls of Jericho, which man thought was impossible. The only way to defeat Jericho was to destroy the walls. I wonder if Joshua had doubts as he chose to obey God. I do think it's possible to have misgivings but, at the same time, obey God.
I'm not a theologian and do not claim to be. I'm speaking from my own experience and understanding how God knows our weaknesses. He will use our weaknesses to bring about victory. Maybe that's part of what this story is conveying. Trust God's plan to keep moving forward even if we have just a tiny bit of doubt.
I find it remarkable that Joshua and his army were able to bring down the walls without any force. All they had to do was walk around several times, shout and blow horns at the appropriate time. He was obeying God's specific commandments of how and when to do each step. This victory was another miraculous feat by God. Only God can do the impossible. All God asks of us is to turn to him, trust him, and obey him.
He does know more than we do and is capable of much more than we are. He created the universe, so surely he can handle whatever crisis we have in our lives. Joshua could have let the size of that wall defeat their goal. He didn't. He put everything into perspective and realized, God was and is more significant than that wall. Joshua followed God's plan and not his own. Joshua received victory and fame for his faith and obedience in and to God.
I found an article listing 7 lessons we can learn from the battle of Jericho at https://myfaithradio.com/2015/7-lessons-battle-jericho/. I'll end today's devotional with these 7 lessons.
1. Focus on the power of our Lord, not the size of your problem.
2. Trust in God’s plan even when it doesn’t make sense.
3. See the supernatural in all situations.
4. Surround yourself with other believers committed to the same goal.
5. Keep putting one foot in front of the other.
6. Follow God’s instructions every step of the way.
7. Get ready for a season of joy.