Tuesday, September 19 – Joshua 6:6-7

So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and have seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark of the Lord.” Then he said to the people, “Go forward and march around the city, and the armed men shall go on ahead of the ark of the Lord.”

We use the phrase secret weapon in sports to describe something or someone unique to our team and key to our strategy for victory. Imagine the scene as Israel prepared for the battle that the Lord had set before them. Their plan wasn’t reliant on armor and weapons, but they had a secret weapon. The secret weapon was the presence of God. As they marched around the city walls, God would be with them. They carried His covenant and held onto His promises.

Today, as followers of Jesus, we have the same secret weapon. When we surrender our lives to God, His presence through the Holy Spirit fills us and equips us for life with Him. We do not embark on any moment or challenge on our own. We always carry God’s power. In John 15:5 Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” When we abide in Christ and embrace our identity in Him, we will see the work of His power. The Israelites carried their secret weapon proudly into the battle. Is it the same for you? Is God’s presence something that you are conscious of or is it easily forgotten in the business of the day? Do you face the challenges of life with confidence because you know true victory in Christ? May we seek Him and trust Him with our lives, ready to see His power at work each day.

• How have you experienced God’s presence in your everyday life?
• How can you be reminded of God’s presence in you each day?
• Pray and praise God that He has given His Holy Spirit to dwell in us.