June 6, 2019: Day 40 – Joshua 6

God doesn’t always follow the most orthodox ways in accomplishing His purposes.  The battle over Jericho is described and it is set up in a way where only God would be able to get the credit for the conquest.  No one would ever imagine that with a single shout, and with trumpets blaring, and with nothing more, no battles, no flying arrows, just what God commanded and nothing more, the walls of the city came down.  Where did Rahab live?  She lived in the walls of the city.  I often wonder what happened to her house and how she survived if she lived in the actual walls.  Look at chapter 2:15 and you can read that she lived on the actual city walls.  Her house was toast but Joshua made sure that she and her family were saved even while the entire rest of the city was destroyed to the ground.

As the days were growing nearer to the conquest, after the people had been circumcised and so prepared for battle and prepared to be the people of  God, then they were placed in a situation where they had to recognize that what would happen next would simply be as a result of the presence of the Lord.  How often we want to prepare so that what happens next is a result of our planning and our skill.  Yes, we are called to be prepared, yes we are called to do all that we can and work as hard as we can so that we are ready for what happens next.  But Scripture is filled with examples of where God takes over and says, you have done enough, it is time for me to teach you and the people around you a lesson.  Let me take over.  I have to be reminded repeatedly that it is only by the grace of God that we are able to move, breathe, and have our being.  Thanks be to God!