Yours for the taking

“And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout for the LORD has given you the city!””

Joshua 6 : 16

A very familiar passage for most. Jericho was this super securely shut city. We read in Joshua 6: 2, “And the LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.” Some versions go like this “Then the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men”.

Isn’t it so interesting that God said “I have given” , “ I have delivered” . In other words, hey its already done !! God didn’t say “I’m going to give” , He said “I have given”. Its all Joshua’s for the taking.

Jesus Christ has already paid the price for us. We have been ransomed by His blood. He has already conquered sin and death. He has set us free. He has purposed us for His glory. Its all ours for the taking !

Now while God had already given Joshua Jericho , God also commanded him to do something . We read in verses 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”

Here is a step of faith , of obedience and perseverance . Wait wait wait ! “How in the world does marching around a city every bring a wall down ?” , “ Why should I walk once for six days and on the seventh day for seven times. Im just too busy , how about I split it up into two days, six times on one day and seven times on the other so that I can do what I want on the other days” :-) Sometimes we try to fit God’s super high ways into our very limited thinking. Some times we think “Oh ok , let me fit this into what’s convenient for me”. We forget what its all about … Faith in God and simple and complete obedience ! :-)

God gave the city , God brought the walls down, God gave the Israelites the victory. All He expected from them is faith and obedience.

Have we super complicated things ? I pray we will go to God just as a child. In simplicity of heart and complete obedience trusting God with our everything. Walking in faith and doing as He has commanded us.

Verse 20 “So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.”

Ready to take the city for Christ ? Its all ours for the taking !

God Bless