Strong and Courageous: A Study in JoshuaSample

What does it say?

The Lord told Joshua that Jericho had been delivered into their hands. He and the Israelites were to walk around the city for seven days and God would give a great victory. 

What does it mean?

God wanted to show the people of Israel as well as the people of Canaan that He had brought Israel into this land. Even before God gave Joshua the plan, He assured him of victory. The instructions didn’t sound much like a battle plan, but God’s commands are often counterintuitive. Throughout the journey to the Promised Land, God proved that He was able to provide everything His people needed. The only thing the Israelites had to do was trust God and start walking. The battle of Jericho was no different. God instructed them to simply walk in faith, and He would take care of the rest. They walked and shouted and the walls fell.

How should I respond?

What is your first instinct when faced with a dilemma? Often, our minds begin to plan, calculate, and even manipulate to come up with our battle plan. Then we ask God to bless our plan and give us the outcome we desire. But God’s path to victory is usually quite different from ours; sometimes it seems to make no logical sense at all. But just like the Israelites, God asks us to trust and walk in faith. What personal plans do you need to release to the Lord? How has He proven Himself trustworthy in the past? There may be enemies and walls in your life today, but just keep moving forward and trusting God. He will take care of the details.