Take Your Jericho

I opened the front door and encountered a flurry of activity as I crossed the threshold. Before I had left to run a quick errand I had asked my eldest child to sweep up the abundance of dust and glitter that graced the kitchen floor. A simple task that I believed she could easily handle. To my surprise, I was wrong. I was informed by my better half that a long handled broom and small dustpan are enough to send a small child into a full blown anxiety attack.

When I made eye contact with my daughter she approached me with shoulders shrugging, head shaking, and announced, “listen. I tried. I really tried but, you know, it just didn’t work out.” And with that she turned and danced away with tiptoes sliding across the still dirty wood floor.

It just didn’t work out?

Imagine if we went to God- our Heavenly Father – and announced, “Listen. I tried. I really tried but, you know, it just didn’t work out. That dream I had? The one you placed within my heart? Well, I tried. I really tried but, listen. It was hard. Too hard. I didn’t know what to do so I gave up. It just didn’t work out.”

In the book of Joshua we meet a man with a mission. He had a vision born into his heart and a word from The Lord that the city of Jericho would be delivered into his hands. The walls that surrounded it-the walls that kept him out- would crumble at his very feet. He was given very specific instructions from The Lord:

Joshua 6:3-5, March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 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. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

But imagine if Joshua went to The Lord and shared, “Listen, we marched six times around the wall. Were were getting tired and the ark is really heavy and awkward to carry. We’re not very coordinated. We’re tired. We’re overwhelmed. Did I mentioned we’re tired? Listen. We tried. We really tried but, you know, it just didn’t work out.”

The Lord promised Joshua they would take Jericho. He did not leave them to figure out how they would accomplish such a seemingly impossible task. He had a plan and provision… He just needed the Israelites to not give up. It would take time, perseverance, and great faith. It would be awkward and difficult and tiring. But He would deliver.

Now is the time to let wisdom be our guide. If God has birthed a vision and dream within us, He will see it through to completion. And with this vision and dream will come very specific instruction from The Lord. The purpose that God has for our lives will be delivered into our hands. It will take time, perseverance, and great faith. Know that it may be awkward and most certainly difficult and tiring.

And we must remember that the dreams, visions, and great plans we have for our lives will come to be upon the kingdom calendar, not our own impatient timetable.

Father, help me to press on though the task before me seems impossible. I know that you will never leave nor forsake me for you, Jesus, are the way, the truth, and the life. As you provide the provision and the plan, I will follow your instruction. In Jesus name, amen.

 

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