No Time To Surrender
Henry Omotayo
No Time To Surrender (Joshua 9:3-13)
Message No. 0497 | Twitter @GodandUs |
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Often, children of God surrender in the face of little opposition. We often forget that we serve the God of the whole universe, whose power has never changed, nor has it been in doubt since the beginning of the world. We read of the acts of God in the Bible and how He saved His people from those who were more powerful than them. We read of the three Hebrew boys in Daniel chapter 3, and of the Jews in Esther chapters 3-7, but we do not expect these things to happen today. However, our God has never changed, nor has His power to deliver diminished. His promise to us is that if our ways please Him, then He will make even our enemies to be at peace with us (Proverbs 16:7).
We do not have to retreat in the face of every harassment. The enemy is meant to harass and to bully people, but only those who surrender in fear lose. As God’s children, we do not belong to the family tree of the fearful, for, in 2 Timothy 1:7, the Bible says:
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
As people who are privileged to have the full power of the godhead backing us up, there is no enemy power that can overcome us.
The journey of Israel to the Promised Land was laden with battles and wars. Nations and leagues of nations came against them but were conquered, defeated and run over, as long as Israel obeyed instructions from God. Needless to say, Israel became a terror to many kings and many nations who were on their path to Canaan. Those who thought they could bolden up and confront the army of God had themselves to blame.
Under this condition, certain kings decided to appeal to wisdom; instead of confrontation, the Bible says in Joshua 9:3-6:
… when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended, old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.”
The Gibeonites saw clearly that Israel had a God that could not be confronted, so they craftily came in humility and asked to be servants of Joshua. These kings saw the finger of God from afar and very quickly surrendered even before there was any talk of a battle. As we follow the leading of God and obey His instructions, those who are on our paths to our God-ordained destinations will not only surrender to us, they will help us to reach those destinations in Jesus’ name.
The world is in a downtime situation and many people are being negatively affected. Some might view this as the end of the road to their progress, as they are either being laid off or their businesses are being shut down owing to various government acts or actions. As God’s children, we must see these situations as temporary setbacks, but must never lose sight of our destinations. The current situation will pass away. On the other side of it, better jobs will come and our businesses will rise again and conquer our environments. As we continue to pray for those who are affected and for those who are in the frontline, providing help to the affected, may our God make this period to be short and be gracious to everyone of us. Have a fruitful week and God bless you!
PLEASE ACT NOW:
If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:
Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!
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