Saturday, March 23, 2013

The Strategy (Josh. 10:9-11)



10/14/2009 11:09 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                                                 Focus:  The strategy

Bible Reading & Meditation                                  Reference:  Joshua 10:9-11

          Message of the verses:  “9  So Joshua came upon them suddenly by marching all night from Gilgal. 10  And the LORD confounded them before Israel, and He slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and pursued them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11  As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the sons of Israel killed with the sword.”
            The strategy was to have the army of Israel to march all night in order to bring about a surprise attack on these five kings and their followers and the strategy worked to perfection because the Lord had told Joshua that He had given them into their hands.  Then comes the hailstones which killed the majority of Israel’s enemies, as the hailstorm was sent by the Lord in order to fulfill His promise to them.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I look into this story and many other stories from the OT which took great faith on behalf of those who were involved in these stories, I kind of sometimes do not realize the amount of faith it took for them to be a successful part of the stories.  Joshua and all of the army of Israel had to have great faith in the promises that God had just given them that they would defeat this army, for it is good to remember why Israel marched forty years in the wilderness, and that was because of unbelief that God would use them to conquer these very large enemies that were there.  The Word of God says that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”  It always seems easier to believe other peoples miracles than the ones that I need to happen for me.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

  1. Give myself to the Lord today for worship and service.
  2. Trust the Lord to guide my path today.
  3. Continue to learn contentment.
  4. Put on the spiritual armor to protect me in the battle today:  the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, take up the shield of faith, put on the helmet of salvation, and take up the Sword of the Spirit.
  5. Pray that the Holy Spirit will search my heart for any unconfessed sin.
  6. Think on things that are pleasing to the Lord.

10/14/2009 11:51 AM

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