Living By Instructions

 DEVOTION

JOSHUA

LIVING BY INSTRUCTIONS

Josh 6:1-11

6:1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. 2 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in." 6 So Joshua son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant of the LORD and have seven priests carry trumpets in front of it." 7 And he ordered the people, "Advance! March around the city, with the armed guard going ahead of the ark of the LORD." 8 When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets before the LORD went forward, blowing their trumpets, and the ark of the LORD's covenant followed them. 9 The armed guard marched ahead of the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard followed the ark. All this time the trumpets were sounding. 10 But Joshua had commanded the people, "Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!" 11 So he had the ark of the LORD carried around the city, circling it once. Then the people returned to camp and spent the night there.

NIV

We know this story about the walls of Jericho, in fact, there is a children’s song with the Chorus, “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho, Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down”. Yet there is something in the beginning of this narrative about the walls of Jericho that causes us to reflect on our walk with Jesus. God spoke to Joshua and confirmed what He would do for Joshua and all the people of Israel. God was the one who would deliver the city to Joshua. God is the one who would fight the battle against the walls of the city that were all shut up. Of course, God gave specific instructions for the part that Joshua and all of Israel. Here is where our lives intervene into this narrative, or where we find our life lesson. First, it would be wise on our part to stand still or be still and know He is God. We should know that God has always had a plan and a purpose for our lives. He has spoken to us through several means over the years. First, we have His divine word giving us instructions on how we are to live by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. That is our general style or format of life, but God also has an individual plan for each one of us. This is where we need to stand still or stay in camped or camped out in place until we hear Him tell us to move out, metaphorically speaking. If we agree with God and believe He is the Lamp onto our feet, then we are to follow the path in life that He shines the Light. Just as He led the children of Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of smoke in the day. When the pillar stood still, they camped until the pillar moved then they broke camp and moved out following His light. How can we dare make the choice to stay or move without having the Light direct our way? This should apply to the three major aspects of our lives, where we live, work, and worship. On more occasions than we dare count, we have seen believers leave a job, or a church over hurt feelings, putting themselves before the plan of God, who had called them to worship in that particular church. We must always be in accordance with His purpose for us, where and why we live where we do, and why and where we worship, and what gifts He has empowered us with to serve in the body of Christ exactly as He has determined. We must obey His leading, just as Joshua did exactly as God instructed him. Let us always live according to how He instructs us.