Walls Fall Down: God’s Unusual Plan for VictorySample

AN UNCONVENTIONAL PLAN

God had a very specific plan for Joshua and the Israelites to conquer the city of Jericho. It was an unusual and unconventional plan. And it probably didn’t make very much sense to His people.

They were to walk around the walls of Jericho once a day for six days. On the seventh day, they were to walk around the walls seven times. After the seventh circuit around the walls, the priests were to sound the trumpets and the entire army was to give a shout.

Though Joshua and the Israelites may not have understood, they still followed the Lord’s instructions—and they were victorious as a result. At the end of the seven days, everything God promised them came to pass.

The Lord said in Isaiah 55:8, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts…And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”

God could have brought those walls down with a snap of His finger, but He chose a different way. Throughout the Bible, we see many strange requests. God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, his only son, after promising to make him a great nation through his offspring (Genesis 12:2 and Genesis 22:2). God told Namaan the leper to dip in a river seven times in order to be cleansed (2 Kings 5). Before a critical battle, He basically told Gideon, “You have too many men! Cut them down to 300” (Judges 7). And Jesus told the disciples to leave everything and follow Him (Matthew 4:19).

God wants to see what’s in your heart. He wants to know if you’ll trust Him no matter what! Romans 8:28 give us this assurance: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” If you know that God has your best interest at heart, then it’s easy to trust Him and to follow His instructions—even in impossible situations.

Whatever battle you are facing, turn to the Lord and ask Him for wisdom. Ask Him for the plan that will lead to victory. Whatever He tells you to do (through His Word, the Holy Spirit, or wise and godly counsel), obey that plan no matter how strange it might seem. Yes, your friends might laugh at you. Yes, your family might turn against you. But follow God’s plan anyway and know that you will be well on your way to victory.