Joshua 4:11-14
...And as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the Lord and the priests came to the other side while the people watched. The men of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over, ready for battle, in front of the Israelites, as Moses had directed them. About forty thousand armed for battle crossed over before the Lord to the plains of Jericho for war. That day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they stood in awe of him all the days of his life, just as they had stood in awe of Moses.
If one obeys God, God will make people stand in awe of him. That's a spiritual principle that never changes. Unfortunately, a lot of people have overlooked this truth; in their life and ministry, they make tremendous effort to elevate and show off themselves with their own might. They are afraid that people won't respect them, so they do whatever it takes to protect their stature; even when they are in church, they inadvertently try hard to solidify their influence. Actually, all these efforts are doomed for failure because they are out of our flesh. God's principle is very simple - Obey God, and He will consider us friends and He will exalt us. We'll be exalted not because we're worthy, but only because we obey God and become His vessel. People who cruise the streets with a policeman will be respected, and in the same way those who walk with God will also be respected.
Brothers and sisters, don't ever worry about your fame and stature, but always begin with the most basic spiritual matters in your life, which is obedience, and "those who humble themselves will be exalted." Obedience is a subject that everyone can talk about, but not everyone can practice. It's difficult to obey because our minds are filled with impurities. When Peter was praying in the upper room, he saw a vision, where a big sack fell filled with unclean foods fell from the sky. The Lord told Peter: "Kill and eat." It seems to be such a simple command, but it was extremely difficult for Peter, because those were things that he couldn't eat according to his tradition and he never had them before. In today's passage, Joshua set a great example for obedience. He obeyed God and he bore the testimony of obedience while leading the Israelites. This is a great example of trust and obedience, and may God give us to same determination to obey Him!
Lord, we thank you because you are a faithful God, and every word from you carries power. You said that those who humble themselves small be exalted, so I ask that you help us to hear your voice more easily, and be willing to obey you. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.