Finally, the people were ready to take their Promised Land from the previous inhabitants, but their first city presented quite a challenge—or so they thought:
Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in. Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. 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" (Joshua 6:1-5).
At first sight, it seemed like the city was impregnable and would require quite a protracted siege and battle. But note what the Lord said: "I have delivered Jericho into your hands." From God's view, it was a done deal! Then God proceeded to reveal His battle plan to Joshua, which was unconventional to say the least. The people only had to march around the city for a week and then watch the walls come down.
God has put you in some challenging situations and you may think you are also in for a prolonged struggle. But perhaps God is saying to you today, "I've already won this battle on your behalf!" Thus, there's no need to expect the worst, for God has already set the best in motion. For that to occur, God will give you a strategy that seems counterintuitive at first. For instance, you're in need but God directs you to give first. You're facing a hostile situation but God directs you to be kind and gracious with your adversaries. Or you're struggling to make ends meet but God shows you it's a good time to expand!
Where do you need a strategy to accomplish your big goals? Where are you facing your Jericho with it's barred gates and need to find a way for its walls to come down? God is still in the strategy business and wants to impart a plan to you. All you have to do is obey, no matter how strange it may seem, so you too can overcome great obstacles with the simplest of actions.
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