Psalms 8:1, 16:2, 31:1-3a
My Shepherd met me in His green pastures, looking for Him. I visited the Dove (Becky) at her table with her Bible open, and we engaged in a bit of small talk. Iran was the topic, and we discussed the evidence of God’s hand in this effort to secure our nation and our allies in the Middle East from the hostility of an irrational regime and the liberation of an oppressed people crying for FREEDOM. I joked that maybe we’d get to see God throw His rocks from heaven. We chuckled. It’s one of her favorite Bible stories.
But something stirred my heart and drew me into reflection on the first of two amazing moments in the battle of Joshua against the Amorites:
Joshua 10:11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
God “cast down great stones from heaven.” The LORD fought with Israel.
The next amazing token of Divine involvement in the battle of Joshua against the Amorites:
Joshua 10:12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
Joshua 10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
Joshua 10:14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.
“The LORD fought for Israel.”
He threw stones at their enemies and stopped the sun in its course to lengthen the day. Assistance against an enemy and a lengthening of our days to complete our work. Wow!
Along the still waters, I confess, I felt a twinge of jealousy. Not the sort that inspires hatred, not envy. But an admiration of a people who had GOD on their side, and got to see Him engage with them and for them in their battles, with a longing to see Him “with” and “for” His Church today.
The Spirit responded quickly: but this happened and was recorded with My Church in view:
1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
“I said this twice,” He said:
Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
We are in a battle! For the kingdom of Christ. We wield the “Sword of the Spirit,” which is the “word of God” (Ephesians 6:17) against the lies that hold men’s minds in darkness (2 Corinthians 4:4). He has given us “the day” in which to fight: “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:5). The day is closing: “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work” (John 9:4).
Yet we get stuck behind devilish clogs, and get sunk into fleshly bogs.
Devils establish and fortify strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4) that impede our outreach and hinder our ministries (“Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us” (1 Thessalonians 2:18 )).
I asked the Spirit whether God was “with us” in our battle. He said, “We are laborers together with God” (1 Corinthians 3:9). I asked whether He would fight “for” us. He said, “If God be for us, who can be against us” (Romans 8:31).
I asked whether He would fight “for us”: He reminded me that the Angel of the LORD walked Peter from Prison, and later killed the ruler who sought to hinder the gospel (Acts 12). I asked whether He would war “with us” and He reminded me: “Without me, ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).
So I asked, “Then when do I get to see you throw rocks?” He said, did you not notice that Israel went onto the battlefield in full armor and fully committed to the battle? Did you not notice that I blessed them invisibly with might for the fight when they faithfully engaged the enemy and put them to flight by their faith? Jerry, I threw the rocks at the enemy in retreat! You resist the Devil, I chase him in retreat.
Will you “lengthen” the “Day”? You did not pay attention: Joshua commanded the sun to stand still. You must command the sun: “Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14).
“Oh, and by the way,” said the Spirit, “My Rock is the stone of stumbling. I have cast it into the world (Matthew 21:42; see 1 Peter 2:7). I received it into glory, and will cast it down upon the rebellious nations ere long (Daniel 2:34).”
In the valley, He cautioned me not to despise the New Testament and reminded me that the ministration of the Spirit is “rather glorious” by comparison (2Corinthians 3:8). He reminded me of what He said to Thomas: “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29). He saw the nail prints in His hands. I looked and saw them too, only not with eyes of flesh, but with the eyes of faith. And I saw the stones He has cast upon the enemy, and commanded the “light” of the Sun of righteousness to shine in this dark world.
Jesus smiled and said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
At the table, He anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy followed us into the harvest.
Praying for revival! 🙏
Going live asap:
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