An Opportunity For God
Scripture: Joshua 10:3-5, 12, 11:1-4, 8
3"So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon. 4 “Come and help me destroy Gibeon,” he urged them, “for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel.” 5 So these five Amorite kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibeon...12 On that day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites...11:1 When King Jabin of Hazor heard what had happened, he sent messages to...all the kings of the northern hill country; the kings in the Jordan Valley south of Galilee; the kings in the Galilean foothills; the kings of Naphoth-dor on the west; 3 the kings of Canaan, both east and west;...the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites in the towns on the slopes of Mount Hermon in the land of Mizpah.4 All these kings came out to fight...8 And the Lord gave them victory over their enemies."
Observations:
After the Israelites entered into the Promised Land and conquered the first two cities, the neighboring kingdoms quickly took notice. Before God had given Joshua any further instructions on conquering the rest of the Canaanites, the Canaanites in the south joined forced and tried to conquer them, but God gave them victory. No sooner than they finished fighting one battle in the south before the Canaanites in the north joined forces and came against the Israelites, but again God gave them victory over their enemies. Interestingly, these two military campaigns were the two most significant battles in the conquest of the Promised Land, yet both of them began with Israel on the defensive rather than the offense. On both counts God allowed the enemy to gain the advantage over them while Israel was caught off guard with no battle plan and no instruction. It wasn't until the situation took a turn for the worse that God even bothered telling them what to do. But in the end God used the threat of two very powerful enemy alliances to help make the Israelites' conquest of the Promised Land faster and more effective than it would have been had He helped them defeat the enemies one at a time.
Application:
Just because we follow God's plan for our lives does not mean we won't face seemingly impossible situations that seem to get worse before they get better. God allows and even causes some circumstances that to us look like He's working against us when in reality He is at work causing those very circumstances to work together for our ultimate good to accomplish His purpose for our lives His way and in His timing (Romans 8:28-29). But we have a tendency to get frustrated with God's method when we don't understand His ways and are too busy worrying about our circumstances that we fail to recognize the fact that God is in fact working for us not against us (Romans 8:32). When we are following the will and plan of God for our lives, it's always good to remember that the unexpected problems we face are opportunities in which God is working to accomplish His purpose for us. Although we don't always understand, so long as we are willing to do it His way and be obedient, He will open the door and see us through every time.
Prayer:
Father, help us to remember when we are surrounded by the impossible that You are at work all around us accomplishing Your purposes that will result in the greatest good. Help us to keep our focus on You despit our circumstances and fully surrendered to Your will for our lives. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading Plan
3"So King Adoni-zedek of Jerusalem sent messengers to several other kings: Hoham of Hebron, Piram of Jarmuth, Japhia of Lachish, and Debir of Eglon. 4 “Come and help me destroy Gibeon,” he urged them, “for they have made peace with Joshua and the people of Israel.” 5 So these five Amorite kings combined their armies for a united attack. They moved all their troops into place and attacked Gibeon...12 On that day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites...11:1 When King Jabin of Hazor heard what had happened, he sent messages to...all the kings of the northern hill country; the kings in the Jordan Valley south of Galilee; the kings in the Galilean foothills; the kings of Naphoth-dor on the west; 3 the kings of Canaan, both east and west;...the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites in the towns on the slopes of Mount Hermon in the land of Mizpah.4 All these kings came out to fight...8 And the Lord gave them victory over their enemies."
Observations:
After the Israelites entered into the Promised Land and conquered the first two cities, the neighboring kingdoms quickly took notice. Before God had given Joshua any further instructions on conquering the rest of the Canaanites, the Canaanites in the south joined forced and tried to conquer them, but God gave them victory. No sooner than they finished fighting one battle in the south before the Canaanites in the north joined forces and came against the Israelites, but again God gave them victory over their enemies. Interestingly, these two military campaigns were the two most significant battles in the conquest of the Promised Land, yet both of them began with Israel on the defensive rather than the offense. On both counts God allowed the enemy to gain the advantage over them while Israel was caught off guard with no battle plan and no instruction. It wasn't until the situation took a turn for the worse that God even bothered telling them what to do. But in the end God used the threat of two very powerful enemy alliances to help make the Israelites' conquest of the Promised Land faster and more effective than it would have been had He helped them defeat the enemies one at a time.
Application:
Just because we follow God's plan for our lives does not mean we won't face seemingly impossible situations that seem to get worse before they get better. God allows and even causes some circumstances that to us look like He's working against us when in reality He is at work causing those very circumstances to work together for our ultimate good to accomplish His purpose for our lives His way and in His timing (Romans 8:28-29). But we have a tendency to get frustrated with God's method when we don't understand His ways and are too busy worrying about our circumstances that we fail to recognize the fact that God is in fact working for us not against us (Romans 8:32). When we are following the will and plan of God for our lives, it's always good to remember that the unexpected problems we face are opportunities in which God is working to accomplish His purpose for us. Although we don't always understand, so long as we are willing to do it His way and be obedient, He will open the door and see us through every time.
Prayer:
Father, help us to remember when we are surrounded by the impossible that You are at work all around us accomplishing Your purposes that will result in the greatest good. Help us to keep our focus on You despit our circumstances and fully surrendered to Your will for our lives. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading Plan
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