Take a Minute -- Sunday, 5/23/10 -- AGAINST ALL ODDS -- Joshua 5:1
J.R. & Bonnie Ricks
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AGAINST ALL ODDS -- Joshua 5:1 NIV
Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the Jordan before the Israelites until we had crossed over, their hearts melted and they no longer had the courage to face the Israelites.
Israel was in an odd position. Forty years earlier, they had stood in the same spot, with the same opposition. And they had failed because they had placed their faith in themselves rather than in God. Now they stood in the same place with the same opposition, but now the odds were in their favor. Now they had a different reputation. Now they were a formidable fighting force who had defeated several great warlords and taken over their land. In the process of taking the children of Israel through the wilderness, God had not only taught them many valuable lessons, He had changed the attitudes of those around them. No longer were they that motley crew of slaves who'd managed to outrun the Egyptians. No longer were they a seemingly spineless hoard of misfits. Now they and their God presented a terrifying picture to the people of Canaan. Now they were organized, obedient, faithful, and strong. God had not changed, but the children of Israel were very different. And now God had overcome the opposition for them. No one left in Canaan had the courage to fight Israel.
How very many times have we seen God do the same thing today? Take a look at your own life. Who were you when you first came to Jesus? What kind of reputation did you have? Has that reputation changed any? Is it still changing? Have you changed any? Are you still changing? Are you wandering in the wilderness right now? Or are you standing at the edge of the Promised Land, primed and ready to go in? If you're just beginning your journey, be delighted and excited - God is about to teach you some wonderful and glorious things! If you're “wandering in the wilderness,” praise God that He loves you enough to teach you, to work with you, to help you to grow in Him. If you're standing at the edge of the Promised Land, be excited, and keep your mind and spirit focused on God… on what He's done before and what He's about to do. And don't worry about the opposition. God can handle it. You just keep your eyes on Him.
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