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JoanneVWordImageLarge“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-19, NLT)

For the last few days, I have been reading the familiar story of the battle of Jericho. The battle strategy, if you can call it such, was to march around the city once a day for six days. On the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times and when the priests gave the signal, all the people were to shout as loudly as they could. You can read the story for yourself in Joshua 6.

It was God’s strategy, not Joshua’s. It probably made no sense at all to the people. Don’t miss the fact that they had to march in silence other than their one shout (see verse 10). No complaining that the sun was scorching, or they were thirsty, or their feet hurt, or how much further till they could stop. So yeah, now you know what I would have wanted to say 🙂 But no, they remained in silence until the shout.

The shout – the shout of victory. The shout to remind them all of God’s Presence and His might.

  1. God’s people had to exercise faith in Him BEFORE Jericho would fall.
  2. Spiritual victories are impossible without the help of God’s Spirit.
    (from the Key Word Commentary, page 205)

What battle do you find yourself facing today?

We are to be wholly dependent on God, “It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” (Zechariah 4:6, NLT) Our God can make the mountains before us as level ground. He can open closed doors. He can make a way when there is no way.

And in the meantime, while we wait and battle, we are to be thankful.

It is God’s will for us to be joyful, praying and giving thanks in all circumstances. When we do not, we can stifle the Holy Spirit. So today, let us all give thanks. Let us lift up the Name of Jesus. And may each battle be won.

It is to His Great Name we give thanks.
It is in His Great Name we have victory.
For it is His Great Name we trust.
His Great Name.

 

 

Today I am joining … Testimony Tuesday and Intentional Tuesday and True Story and #RaRaLinkup and Reflect and Unite .