Today's Passage - Joshua 8:9-17

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Joshua 8:9-17    ...That night Joshua went into the valley. When the king of Ai saw this, he and all the men of the city hurried out early in the morning to meet Israel in battle at a certain place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set against him behind the city. Joshua and all Israel let themselves be driven back before them, and they fled toward the wilderness. All the men of Ai were called to pursue them, and they pursued Joshua and were lured away from the city. Not a man remained in Ai or Bethel who did not go after Israel. They left the city open and went in pursuit of Israel.    The battle of Ai was indeed a classic military engagement. God doesn't always do things in unconventional ways, and this time the strategy that He set forth would have been praised by all military strategists. Our general can fight the battle of Jericho and also the battle of Ai. He cares for all our needs and He wants us to plead His name in every little thing that we do. On the other hand, God also taught the Israelites the lesson of waiting. It's not easy to hide and wait, because you don't know when you are going to wait until. You have to stay alert anytime and wait for the signal to go. In the same manner, we also need to learn to wait in a spiritual warfare, as Isaiah 40:31 says: "...but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." The only way that we can "run and not grow weary" and "walk and not be faint" is to learn the lesson of waiting.   Waiting doesn't mean we do nothing, and it's also inseparable from staying alert. Waiting has a purpose and it's not completely out of helplessness. Because it has a purpose, we must be on alert for God's signal; we can't get ahead of God, nor can we fall behind too much. No matter how long we're gearing up to go, we must wait patiently. During the spiritual battles of your life, are you willing to wait quietly before God? Isaiah 30:15 says that "in repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it." God rebuked people at the time that if they wanted to count on their own strength, they will ultimately fail, and they will only gain strength by waiting upon God. Are you willing to learn to wait upon God starting today?   Pray with Pastor Tong       Lord, I thank you because you are our God of mercy. May you give us true faith so that we can wait upon you in the battlefield of life, until we gain strength so that we can fight a good war for you. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!