Wednesday, October 4 – Joshua 8:18-19
Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Reach out with the sword that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will hand it over to you.” So Joshua reached out with the sword that was in his hand toward the city. Then the men in ambush rose quickly from their place, and when he had reached out with his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it, and they quickly set the city on fire.
Obedience requires action. Sometimes this is a leap of faith that feels uncomfortable and strange. When we feel God’s prompting to introduce ourselves to our neighbor, we start to worry about awkward interaction. We feel inclined to pray for a friend in the moment at a coffee shop, but we grow aware of others around us and start to wonder what they will think. We hold back from praying with boldness because we aren’t sure God will answer our requests favorably. The Lord told Joshua what to do and he did it. From afar, this action likely looked strange—raising a sword toward a city, not toward a physical enemy. Following the instructions God had given them was an act of faith.
Today, we need that same faith and desire to follow God’s instruction. The Israelites displayed a willingness and readiness to answer God’s call. There was no brainstorming about whether that was truly the best way to go or suggestions to make God’s plan better. They followed His plan completely. For some of us, God has instructed us what to do. He has put a certain person on our hearts to share the gospel with, He has given us a heart for a certain ministry, or He has given us an idea of how to use our money, but we are holding back. We are deciding if that is what we really want instead of moving to action in obedience. Our God is faithful. If He has called you to it, He will equip you through it. It is time to follow through in our faith, trusting His way instead of our own.
- Have you ever felt God calling you to do something that felt uncomfortable? What was it? What did you do?
- Why is it hard for you to act in faith? What are some things that hold you back?
- Pray and ask God to guide you and equip you to follow His calling.
