I wish I could have witnessed the reaction of the Israelite warriors when Joshua explained God’s strategy for taking the city of Jericho. There are times when God leads us through a process or plan that is brilliant and strategic beyond our own wisdom and understanding. And there are times when He uses foolishness to confound the wise.
I love when God instructs us to do something as seemingly silly as marching around the city blowing horns to accomplish His purpose in our lives. When He leads us in this way, no one can give us the credit for a great plan. No one can reasonably explain how seemingly unrelated things could come together with perfect precision to accomplish a foreseeable (to man) outcome. There is only one explanation when God chooses the foolish to confound the wise and that is that God’s wisdom is so far beyond ours, His sovereignty so universal, that He is able to defeat a mighty fortress using musical instruments instead of battering rams.
But here is the challenge we face: It’s easy on this side of the battle of Jericho to praise God and recognize His hand in this victory. But when we are the one called to do something that even our believing friends see as nuts, can we still see His hand? Can we start marching in obedience when people around us are scratching their head and asking if we need a therapist? Can we keep marching, when there is zero evidence of it having any effect and the enemy is standing on the wall taunting us?
God has called me to do some things that didn’t seem particularly logical or practical, like committing to an overseas mission trip with my 12-year-old daughter shortly after my husband, the only source of income for our family at the time, was laid off. But God provided abundantly for all our needs and used that experience in ways that continue to impact our lives and others’ seventeen years later.
What has God called you to do that didn’t make sense, but you’ve seen Him work a miracle through your obedience? What is He calling you to do now that you are questioning? Is it bigger and crazier than marching around a city to make the walls come tumbling down?
I love when God instructs us to do something as seemingly silly as marching around the city blowing horns to accomplish His purpose in our lives. When He leads us in this way, no one can give us the credit for a great plan. No one can reasonably explain how seemingly unrelated things could come together with perfect precision to accomplish a foreseeable (to man) outcome. There is only one explanation when God chooses the foolish to confound the wise and that is that God’s wisdom is so far beyond ours, His sovereignty so universal, that He is able to defeat a mighty fortress using musical instruments instead of battering rams.
But here is the challenge we face: It’s easy on this side of the battle of Jericho to praise God and recognize His hand in this victory. But when we are the one called to do something that even our believing friends see as nuts, can we still see His hand? Can we start marching in obedience when people around us are scratching their head and asking if we need a therapist? Can we keep marching, when there is zero evidence of it having any effect and the enemy is standing on the wall taunting us?
God has called me to do some things that didn’t seem particularly logical or practical, like committing to an overseas mission trip with my 12-year-old daughter shortly after my husband, the only source of income for our family at the time, was laid off. But God provided abundantly for all our needs and used that experience in ways that continue to impact our lives and others’ seventeen years later.
What has God called you to do that didn’t make sense, but you’ve seen Him work a miracle through your obedience? What is He calling you to do now that you are questioning? Is it bigger and crazier than marching around a city to make the walls come tumbling down?
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