Overcome the Enemy by Faith (Josh. 6:6-16, 20)

9/1/2009 10:01 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                    Focus:  During the challenge:  Remember that                                                                           that you overcome the enemy by faith

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Joshua 6:6-16, 20

            Message of the verses:  “6 ¶  So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD." 7  Then he said to the people, "Go forward, and march around the city, and let the armed men go on before the ark of the LORD." 8  And it was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD went forward and blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9  The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while they continued to blow the trumpets. 10  But Joshua commanded the people, saying, "You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout!" 11  So he had the ark of the LORD taken around the city, circling it once; then they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp. 12  Now Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13  The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them and the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while they continued to blow the trumpets. 14  Thus the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp; they did so for six days. 15  Then on the seventh day they rose early at the dawning of the day and marched around the city in the same manner seven times; only on that day they marched around the city seven times. 16  At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, "Shout! For the LORD has given you the city.

            “20  So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city.”

            As mentioned at the beginning of this chapter in Dr. Wiersbe’s book “Be Strong” there was three main points in this chapter that “illustrate three principles of spiritual conflict and victory applicable to our lives today, no matter what challenges we may be called to confront.”  In today’s SD the second point is focused on, that of you overcome the enemy by faith.

            If the children of Israel had not seen the ten miracles that the Lord did in order to destroy the nation of Egypt so that they could leave Egypt and then see the Red Sea divided, and then walk in the wilderness for forty years being provided the food and water they needed, and then defeat stronger kings and nations than they were and then to walk across the flooded Jordan river on dry ground they may have thought that walking around a city for seven days not saying a word carrying the Ark of the Covenant and blowing the rams horn was a silly thing to do, but this took faith in the Lord and in His Word to do this and on the seventh day they were rewarded for their faith as the walls fell down after the shout of the people.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Dr. Wiersbe writes “The fall of Jericho is an encouragement to God’s people to trust the Lord’s promises and obey His instructions, no matter how impossible the situation may appear to be.”  There are tall walls around me at times that surely need to fall down, and in order for them to fall down I need to trust the promises of the Lord and follow His instructions so that the battle will be done.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1. Romans 12:1-2  “1 ¶  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
    
2. Proverbs 3:5-6  “5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”   
3. Psalm 139:23-24  “23  Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24  And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”
4. Philippians 4:11  “11  Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”
5. Ephesians 6:14-18  “14  Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15  and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16  in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17  And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18  With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”
6. Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
7. Get a plan together from the promises of the Lord to defeat the spiritual battle that I am facing and then follow it to ensure the victory.  There may be some battles that seem to be lost, but to continue to work and trust the Lord and His Word.

9/1/2009 11:07 AM