Daily Devotions
Faith to Do the Absurd
Reading for March 12th: Joshua 5-8
So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat...
Joshua 6:20
What do you do when you're up against something much bigger than you?
Great and mighty cities like Jericho prevented the previous generation of Israelites from entering the Promised Land. They lacked the faith to obey God and take these cities (Heb 3:16-19).
However, Joshua was told that if he was "strong and courageous" and "careful to do according to all the law," that he would be successful (Josh 1:7). His courage was put to the test at Jericho.
There are two ways we can characterize God's commands in Joshua 6:
1. They were meticulous. Very specific and detailed instructions were given: how many days they were to encircle the city, how many times a day, how many priests would blow horns, what kind of horns they were to blow, when the people were to shout, when they were to be silent...
2. They were absurd. Nothing about this mission made sense. Human wisdom would never devise a plan like this. How foolish and bizarre this plan must have seemed to be to the Israelites!
When facing a crisis in our life we need to respond with the same kind of faith and obedience as Joshua and the people. We need to follow God's law meticulously. Not just some of it. Not just the easy parts. ALL of it!
We need to follow God's law even when it doesn't make sense. Think about it... the reason God's way doesn't make sense to us is because we're stupid. It is our stupidity that has gotten us into the mess we're in. The right way should seem absurd to us. We're not thinking straight.
Father, give us strength and courage to meticulously follow all you've commanded, especially those parts that make no sense to us.
