Week 12: The walls came a tumbling down

I've always enjoyed the story of the Battle of Jericho (Joshua 6:1-27). I think that as a kid it was pretty amazing to think that the people yelled and the "walls came a tumbling down". There was also a song we sang about it. In fact, I think the song had actions to it. Maybe that is the real reason I remember enjoying the story?

Having read "The Fall of Jericho" again as an adult, I appreciate the faith and trust of Joshua and the Israelites. I can only imagine hearing the Lord's instructions to walk around the city once a day for six days and then march around it seven times on the seventh day with a really loud shout at the end - a magic formula for wall busting. Ha! The faith and hope that the Israelites had in the Lord in this story is astounding, and because they walked in the Lord's path they were delivered the city as promised.

I often feel like I'm walking and walking around Jericho, but maybe my heart is wavering too much to hear the call to shout out for my victory. Or maybe I'm looking in the wrong direction and missed the horn blast. I need to trust like the Israelites that the Lord's path and instructions are the right way, even if they seem too hard, too strange or way too far out of my comfort zone.

My favorite verse from the week was Joshua 1:9,

"This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

I know that I needed to hear this and be reminded to be strong and courageous in the Lord. I've felt so discouraged and run-down by life and school (research prospectus - yikes!), but I need to remember that I should draw my hope and strength from the Lord - He will lead me, even if it is to circle the city a few more times.

Week 11: A Lesson in Review

One thing that interests me about the Bible is that certain stories are repeated; for example, in the Gospels the story of Jesus is told from four different points of view. A similar retelling in currently happening in Deuteronomy, or so it seems to me.

In preparation for entering the promised land, the Israelites have much of the Lord's law repeated to them with warnings about what will happen if they fail to keep God's commands. We even have a reminder of the Ten Commandants in Deuteronomy 5:6-21. Why would stories, laws, commandments, etc be repeated in the Bible? A couple of thoughts came to my mind: a) The Israelites needed a refresher after wandering in the desert for 40 years; b) We need a reminder; and c) It's a sort of proof of the authenticity of the story. If more than one person is writing similar events and stories there is some credibility to it. Now I know there is more to repeating something to making it true, but I gotta believe that some of this repetition is happening for a reason. I'm not entirely sure what reason (not a Bible scholar), but I think that my couple of hunches are not entirely off-base. If they are, please some one correct me.

The section of verses that most struck me this week is Deuteronomy 6:4-9:

"Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God will all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

We are called to be people of the Lord at all times, not when it's convenient, not when it's easy, but always. I pray that we may have the passion to love the Lord with all our souls, hearts and strength - especially when life is working on an everyday basis to distract us.

Week 10: Stuck a little

So not feeling especially inspired this week, maybe it's all of the other reading and writing I've had to do (and still need to do...). If you are wondering what happened in the reading this week, basically the people of Israel have finally made it to the promised land, and then there was a recap of what happened up until that point.

I did underline Deuteronomy 1: 42, "But the Lord told me to tell you, 'Do not attack, for I am not with you. If you go ahead on your own, you will be crushed by your enemies."  The Lord was commanding the Israelites to wait on his timing for them as then were readying to attack their enemies on the way to the promised land. This verse got me thinking - how often do I strike forward on my own, thinking that I know best? More than I want to admit to that's for sure. Waiting is hard, and trust me - I know all about waiting. But somehow if I remember to let God's strength work through me, it's not so bad some days. It's a challenge to let go (hello! control freak here!), but the rewards are much sweeter, and there is less crushing by those enemies - especially those spiritual ones.

I pray that we may seek God's strength even when we are feeling strong, and that we lean on his might as we face each day.

Week 9: On the move

The people of Israel are on the move, they have left Mount Sinai in pursuit of the promised land. One small problem, the people of Israel are not very happy with the desert menu. They complain, they forget that they have not gone hungry for a moment since leaving Egypt, but they long for the food they used to have in Egypt (Numbers 11:1-15).

I think that it's easy to read these chapters about the Israelites complaining and rebelling, and think "how silly are you" when really we are reading a story that is not so different from our individual journeys. We have been freed in Jesus, but we don't obey him at every turn.

I see myself in the Israelites. My life is blessed, but I want more. I want the things that I want, not necessarily the things that I have or that are good for me.I know that I struggle with complaining about my current situation and longing for a life that I'm not currently living. Hmm...that story sounds strangely familiar. While I'm not physically in the desert, my soul does do quite a bit of wandering in deserts of its own. I think that the lesson that I am learning in reading about the Israelites is that patience and obedience are hard, but worth the effort.

My favorite verses for the week are the priestly blessing in Numbers 6: 24-26:

May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.

The verses go on to say that when the priests used this blessing in God's name he also blessed them. We sing a song at church that is directly from these verses, and I think that I tear-up every time I hear it. There is just something about these verses that are so deeply personal. Who am I that the Lord thinks of me? Right? I pray that we all feel the effects of this powerful blessing.