Conquest day1

 JOSHUA 1–6 

How long had it been since the last time they stood there, gazing across the border into the land that would be their new home? Thirty-eight years of wandering, burying their friends in the wilderness, dozens of them every day. Those had been the most depressing years of Joshua’s life. 

At least Joshua had his mentor, Moses. 

When everything seemed crazy and out of control, when doubts began to creep in and displace hope, Moses’ rock-solid presence was there to comfort and stabilise. 

But Moses wouldn’t allow Joshua to go with him on his last trip up Mount Nebo. And Joshua knew why. Moses wouldn’t be coming back. He had died up there, and God had buried him in an unknown grave. It was all up to Joshua now. He was the leader. It would be up to him to take these desert wanderers and turn them into city-dwellers. 

How exactly would they do it? How would they finally take hold of what was promised to their forefather Abraham all those hundreds of years ago? Would it be through brute force? Would it be through clever tactics and superior strategy? 

Not exactly. 

The first obstacle that stood between the people and their land was this river, this Jordan River. It was at flood stage and had overrun its banks. There was no good place for three million people to cross. How could they invade the fortified cities of Canaan if they couldn’t even get across the river that marked its boundaries? 

In a scene that must have been meant to remind them of their crossing the Red Sea, God commanded the people to cross the river, promising to stop the water as soon as their feet touched the surface. And it happened. They’d heard stories from their now-deceased parents about stuff like this. They’d witnessed God’s protection and provision in the desert, but perhaps they wondered if He was, like so many of the pagan gods, bound by geography. 

No, the God of the desert would be the God of their new home as well. He could bring water from rocks and form dry land in the middle of a rushing river. 

And that’s not all. 

They soon found that He could bring down walls without them ever having to lift a finger. Let’s face it. Marching around a city like Jericho, shouting and blowing trumpets, isn’t a very good military strategy unless you have an all-powerful God on your side. Then (and only then) it makes perfect sense! 

And that was the whole point. The children of Israel didn’t need to worry about the normal things: numbers, size, strength. They just had to follow this God who has stubbornly refused to abandon them, even in their whining and fear and disobedience. 

It’s a good thing we’ve learned that lesson and never worry about silly, trivial things anymore. 

Oh, wait …

Dear Father, there have been many times when I have wandered in the wilderness of disbelief, murmuring and rebellion, wondering indeed if You really have my best interests at heart. I know that I make life far more difficult when I question Your purposes and resist what would, in the end, be the smoother and simpler course. Sin against You complicates and confuses my life, and only leads to pain and regret in the end. Please give me the gift of Your wisdom and grace to think biblically in these moments of doubting Your goodness and provision, so that by Your power, I will turn fear into faith. Then I will be increasingly liberated from the oppressive weight of circumstances and view my situation in light of Your perfect character. I desire to grow in faith, hope and love and to cling firmly to Your loving purposes.

In Jesus’s name, Amen