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March around Jericho

Joshua 6:1-5, NIV

1 Now Jericho was tightly shut up because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.
2 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.
3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.
4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams' horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets.
5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in."

Jericho was a city located at the entrance to the land of Canaan, and the Israelites had to pass through the city to enter the Promised Land that God had prepared. We all have a Jericho city to destroy before we can receive the blessing of God.

1. The Jericho in front of us (Jos 6:1).

Jericho was surrounded by two walls, and the city was an impregnable fortress that no one had ever destroyed. Sometimes we face a Jericho in our lives?봞 problem that blocks us. Sometimes we are in despair when we face trouble that we cannot solve. At such times, we might resent God, despair, or choose to go the wrong way. However, these are the times when God works for us. What type of Jericho are you facing? I hope that you are not trying to solve it with your human ability. Come to the Cross, and cast all your heavy burdens at the Cross. Sometimes our Jericho comes to us so we may confess that human beings are not able to solve their own problems, and we must depend upon the Lord alone.

2. Obey the Word of God (Jos 6:2-5).

When Joshua was confronted with Jericho, God instructed him what to do though the Word. When we have a problem, we should listen to God rather than to people. Yet, many Christians turn to God, only when they face invincible reality after having tried their own means. Jesus said, "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness" (Mt 6:33). His righteousness signifies the Word of God. When we depend on our human emotions and experiences, we will fail. That is why we should rely on the Word. Meditate on the Word, and be seized by the Word every day. May you meet Jesus through the Word. Be clothed with the thoughts and power of Jesus, live a life filled with the Holy Spirit, and become a powerful servant of the Lord.

3. Faith that creates a miracle.

When we obey the Word, we experience the miracle of a Jericho being destroyed. Unbelief is the biggest Jericho that people face today. After Adam and Eve fell, by eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, humankind sought to take the place of God and built a strong Jericho of unbelief and pride. We must thoroughly eliminate this pride (Pr 16:18). We must live only by the grace of God (1Co 15:10). Our lives are like the morning fog, and we must completely surrender to God. While the Israelites marched around Jericho silently for seven days, they felt the limitations and weaknesses of human ability. As a result, they fully depended upon God alone. When they asked for God's help at the end of their human strength, God began to work for them. Then absolute despair turned into absolute hope.

I hope that you will obey the Word of God, crucify yourself on the Cross, and completely rely on the grace of Jesus (Gal 2:20). Then the Jericho of despair, anxiety, worry, and disease will be destroyed, and victory will be yours.