Joshua's Faith from Hebrews 11:30

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 06-13-03

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  Joshua’s faith

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  Hebrews 11:30

 

            1.  Message of the verse:  “30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they had been encircled for seven days.”  (NASB)  “It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho seven days, and the walls came crashing down.”  (NLT)

2Corthinians 10:4 has some insight on how those walls of Jericho fell down:  “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,” It seems to me that was what this battle was all about, as are most battles.  The is the account from the Scriptures of the walls falling down, “Joshua 6:20 So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and it came about, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, that 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.”  I want to quote from John Gill of what he says concerning the faith of these people of Israel:  “And this was by the faith of Joshua, and the Israelites, who believed the walls would fall, at the sound of the rams' horns, as God said they should: after they were compassed about seven days; which was a trial of their faith and patience: the Jews say {o} it was on the Sabbath day that they fell: this was a preternatural act, and cannot be ascribed to any second cause; nothing is impossible with God; no defenses, ever so strong, are anything against him; unlikely means are sometimes made use of by him; faith stops at nothing, when it has the word of God to rest upon; and what God does, be does in his own time, and in his own way. This may be an emblem of the fall of the walls of the hearts of unregenerate men; of their unbelief, hardness, enmity, and vain confidence; and of the conversion and subjection of them unto Christ, through the preaching of the Gospel; which, in the eyes of men, is as mean and despicable, and as unlikely to bring about such an event, as the sounding of the rams' horns might be to the inhabitants of Jericho.”

 

2.Spiritual meaning for my life today:  The one thing that God has impressed upon my heart through this eleventh chapter of Hebrews is the action of true Bible faith, which is as Dr. Wiersbe has described, “True Bible faith is confident obedience to God’s Word in spite of circumstances and consequences.”  This has been very enlightening to me at just the time when I needed it.  

 

The Word of God was again a challenge to my heart to keep up the true faith, and also it was so very refreshing to my soul as I read over it today.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To believe that God will do as He says He will do from His Word concerning the storm that He has lead us into over our investments.  God has promised that He will never leave me nor forsake me.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Psalm 40:16,17

 

16.  Let all who seek Thee rejoice and be glade in Thee; Let those who love Thy salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!”

17.  Since I am afflicted and needy, let the Lord be mindful of me; Thou art my help and my deliverer, do not delay, O my God.