Joshua 6:1–4
“ Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.”
It’s easy to miss the paradox in these verses. First, in verse 2, God says that He has given Jericho into Joshua’s hand, but then in verse 3 He tells Joshua what he must do to get it. Well, which is it? Did God give it to Joshua or did Joshua have to conquer it? If you know the story, the answer is: both! Centuries of disagreements and debates center on the balance between the sovereignty of God and human responsibility. While we won’t solve that debate in this devotion, there is something insightful here.
The people of God were able to benefit most from the sovereignty of God when they obeyed the will of God. God is in control and He reigns, but that is of no true benefit to us if we are enemies of God. Moreover, once we are children of God, we can rest in the truth that God is sovereign and in control, but the benefits and blessings of His sovereignty are experienced to their fullest extent when we walk in obedience and trust.
Only God could have destroyed the walls of Jericho. He did this miraculously and supernaturally. Yet, Joshua and the people would not have experienced this sovereign display of God’s power had they not obeyed God’s commands. The same is true for your life. You may have seen it on stories from the mission field or on mission trips. Something comes over people when they go out onto the field; they see everything as being “on mission” and their trust in God is high. From navigating the airport to driving in unreliable cars to facing violent situations, their obedience and trust are met with God’s sovereignly working in the background to make their trip a success.
If you want to benefit most from God’s sovereignty and providence and witness the ways God can come through, then step out in faith-filled obedience. We usually tend to make decisions on what is safest or most comfortable, and that’s not necessarily sinful. However, as we Advance, what would it look like in your life to step out in radical, faith-filled obedience? When we obey the Lord, we are in the safest place possible, and God enables us to do things beyond what we thought possible. So, whenever you are faced with a complicated decision about things in your life, after praying about it and seeking God, ask yourself, “What is the most obedient and godly thing I can do?” or “What is the most obedient, faith-filled, God-trusting step I can take?”
Like Joshua, you may find yourself marching in circles for a while. But don’t despair, you will also get the opportunity to see God miraculously and powerfully intervene, provide, and protect. Don’t miss out on a chance to see God’s power on display both in your life and in the life of the church.