Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Refuse To Quit!
One of the greatest stories of triumph over a seemingly impossible barrier was when Joshua led Israel into the land of promise and to the city of Jericho. This was a city that was the most fortified city in the land. It seemed that there was no way to penetrate the walls of Jericho or conquer the people.
The plan God gave Joshua was completely outside the boundaries of reasoning. Yet that unreasonable battle plan resulted in the most notable conquest in history. The people marched around the city of Jericho once a day in total silence for six days. On the seventh day, they marched around the city seven times. Finally they raised a loud victory shout, and the walls of the city fell flat.
Victory came because Joshua believed the promise that God had made regarding possessing the land, and he was willing to act on it. He followed the instructions God gave him even when it was contrary to natural reasoning. He trusted that God would see them through and move supernaturally to crush their enemy.
Joshua knew that they would win if they would simply obey God. The victory that day spread throughout the land until the other nations were filled with a dread and fear of Israel. Israel would go on to defeat every king and kingdom and take the land God had given them.
Throughout the Bible, there are men and women who walked with God and did the impossible. The heroes of faith in Hebrews chapter 11 are people who maintained the attitude of a winner even when the times were difficult.
What surprises some people is that these examples of what faith will do for those who trust God include people who make many mistakes.
Some of the greatest people of faith walked into some of the deepest compromises and sins imaginable. The thing that distinguished these heroes of faith from others was that they repented and continued to look to God, believing He would forgive them and still use them.
The New Testament speaks very little of the mistakes and sins of these great patriarchs but rather points to their example of faith and consistency. Isn't it amazing that God focuses on the successes much more than the failures! What a wonderful thing for us to learn.
What then must we do to have a winning attitude? We must strip off the things that will slow us down or hinder our progress. Keep our focus on the goal of God's best. Fill our words with the love and encouragement that has been deposited in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Get up if we have stumbled! Embrace change when it will enhance our progress. Refuse to give up and quit!
Jesus has won the most important battle already. He has defeated Satan and given us the power to win in every situation. Now we are free to develop the attitude of a winner and run the race to victory.
Joshua Chapter 1
King James Version (KJV)
1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
11 Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.
12 And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying,
13 Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, The Lord your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.
14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;
15 Until the Lord have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the Lord your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord's servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.
16 And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.
17 According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the Lord thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.
18 Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.