Dressed for Battle

 DEVOTION

JOSHUA

DRESSED FOR BATTLE

Josh 4:8-13

8 So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the LORD had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. 9 Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day. 10 Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the LORD had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, 11 and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the LORD and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. 12 The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, armed, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. 13 About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the LORD to the plains of Jericho for war.

NIV

Joshua put the twelve stones down as a remembrance to all who saw them of the wonder and mighty power of God holding back the waters of the Jordan. A battle is about to take place and just as they were ordered the fighting men from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed, in front of the Israelites. We cannot image what forty thousand armed men would look like, it must have been a sight to behold. Some of us in the Army or Marine Corps can remember what a battalion or so of men looked like, but that would have only been about eleven hundred or so fighting men.  Before our time in WWII, there were about one hundred and fifty thousand American troops who stormed the beaches of Normandy. Although forty thousand did not compare to the invasion at Normandy, it was a great number plus the rest of all the fighting men from the other tribes, would have increased the number drastically. What has all that to do with us? We have a gigantic fighting force going before us throughout our walk with our Lord, for the battle is not ours but God’s. Just as he told the Israelites when they faced a vast army from Moad coming to drive them out of their land. The battle is the Lord’s when it comes to that evil one who comes to attempt to drive us out of our promised land. The Lord may even send a legion or two of angels to go before us, although even they could not match the power of the Lord. Ultimately He will destroy the Anti-Christ by the words of his mouth at that upcoming battle at Armageddon. Yet, in our daily walk against the forces of evil, God has outfitted us with his full armor so that we can take our stand against the forces of evil. The battle has already been won, still, the battle continues to rage on, with the evil one never wanting to concede the battle. However, God is before us, with us, and behind us, surrounding us with his great hedge of protection, keeping us secure under his wings. Lord remains in us, as long as we remain in him, for without him we can do nothing, so we get dressed for battle each day and stand our ground, in the army of God, watching the Lord fight the battle giving us the victory.