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Joshua sat down on the rocky outcrop and looked over at Jericho. Its walls stood firm in the evening sunlight. He scanned the impenetrable barricade, hoping to find some crack or crevice that had been overlooked by the builders. Joshua had a promise from God, that the land before him was an inheritance for his people. He had a word from God, that now was the time that the promise was being fulfilled. He also had a problem, Jericho.
Jericho was a pagan city that scholars believe was devoted to worship of the moon. Its walls towered over the plain on which it stood making it the most visible hurdle the Israelites could see. Those walls were constructed of hardened bricks six feet wide. They stretched over twenty-five feet high on top of the massive embankment upon which the city was built. It was also the home of armed men, alert and defensive, who knew that the Israelites were coming to challenge them.
So Joshua stood on a nearby hill alone, looking at Jericho. I suspect that the weighty responsibility of the people’s trust and future were heavy on his shoulders that day. I imagine that he was wondering how in the world was he supposed to get inside those walls. He was probably thinking about his resources, the untried men of war that were waiting for marching orders in the camp of Israel. Maybe he was even wondering if he had missed God’s instructions somehow as he looked at those massive walls.
After some time, Joshua looked up and was startled to see the Man standing near him with a gleaming sword in His hand. He had no idea how long the Man had been silently watching him or how He had come so close without him noticing. It was a rookie mistake for a leader to make, to not be aware of what was going on around him. The slip rattled Joshua’s already flagging confidence. He stood to his feet and warily approached the Stranger, noticing the easy confidence in the Man’s stance and the steady grip of His hand on the sword’s hilt. Joshua stopped in front of the Man and asked in what he hoped was a voice of authority, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?”
The Man’s brows raised and a smile played across His lips. His dark eyes looked so steadily at Joshua that it felt like He was gazing through him. He felt exposed as though the Stranger already knew his thoughts. and the doubts that had been running through his mind as he had sat looking at the massive walls of Jericho. Finally, the Man spoke with a voice that Joshua knew all too well. The voice was one that he had heard speaking to his mentor Moses for so many years, one that had spoken to him personally in more recent days. The Man replied, “No. I am not here to lend you My sword, Joshua. I am not here simply because Jericho is shut up. I am here because the real obstacle you are facing is not a wall made of bricks. I am here because you need to know Who I am. When you understand that, you will no longer stare at your problems and try to figure out how to fix them on your own. I have come as the Prince of the Lord’s hosts.”
Joshua felt as though the air around him was somehow charged and heavy. His heart beat raced and he felt his face becoming warm. If the Lord had come to look at Jericho with him, surely he would give him the strategy that would bring success for the army. He whispered, “What do you want me to do? What do you have to say to me?”
“Take off your shoes, Joshua. You are standing on holy ground, ” the Lord answered. Relief washed over him and it seemed as though the weight which had been pressing down on him slipped from his shoulders. He understood that these were the same words that Moses had heard years before in front of a burning bush, words that had shaped his future and set miracles in motion. He slipped to his knees, face down as he realized the importance of the moment in which he was standing. His heart melted in worship as he slipped his sandals off his feet. Joshua was no longer looking for a battle plan, but had come to his own place of encounter with God.
What about you? Have you been facing a Jericho of your own? You know that God has good plans for you and maybe you have even heard the whisper of heaven speaking promises as you pray. But somehow, you just can’t seem to press past the obstacles that you are facing to enjoy that beautiful future.
The walls you face are not sun-baked bricks, but seem just as impenetrable. Some of them may be constructed of past wounds, broken relationships, and lost opportunities. Maybe your walls are made of the lack of education or money. Your walls could even be lack of confidence in your own abilities. Perhaps you have even spent countless hours examining these walls, trying to figure out how to get from the promise of today to the fulfillment of tomorrow.
When you are at the place where we recognize your inability to push into the good plans of God, you are standing at the threshold of holy encounter. If you have been facing a Jericho, I have a word for you: Look up! The Lord is standing near waiting for you to realize that your resources are never going to be enough to bring down those walls. You don’t need another sword, a better plan, or a bigger bank account. You just need to stand on holy ground for a little while with the Prince of the Lord’s hosts. Your worship will draw His holy heart to your Jericho. His presence will bring renewed purpose and perspective. Walls will always fall when the Lord draws near, so take off your shoes and worship.
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