Footstep Faith

 

Footstep Faith

Footstep Faith - Audio/Visual 

The day God gave the Amorites up to Israel, Joshua spoke to God, with all Israel listening: “Stop, sun, over Gibeon; halt, moon, over Aijalon Valley.” And the sun stopped, and the moon stood stock still until he defeated his enemies. (You can find this written in the Book of Jashar.) The sun stopped in its tracks in mid sky; just sat there all day. There’s never been a day like that before or since — God took orders from a human voice! Truly, God fought for Israel. (Josh. 10:12-14)

When Martin Luther's good friend, Friedrich Myconius, was sick, Luther wrote to him: "I command thee in the name of God to live because I still have need of thee in the work of reforming the church . . . The Lord will never let me hear that thou art dead but will permit thee to survive me. For this I am praying, this is my will, and may my will be done, because I seek only to glorify the name of God." Friedrich outlived Martin Luther by two months. As John Wesley was crossing the Atlantic Ocean, howling winds began to blow. Wesley was reading in his cabin when he became aware of some confusion on board. When he learned that the winds were knocking the ship off course, he responded by praying. Adam Clarke, a colleague, heard the prayer and recorded it. “Almighty and everlasting God, thou hast sway everywhere, and all things serve the purpose of thy will, thou holdest the winds in thy fists and sittest upon the water floods, and reignest a king forever. Command these winds and these waves that they obey thee and take us speedily and safely to the haven whither we would go.” Wesley stood up from his knees, took up his book, and continued to read. Dr. Clarke went on deck and found calm winds and the ship on course. Wesley never said anything about the answered prayer. Clarke wrote, "So fully did he expect to be heard that he took it for granted that he was."

So, how bold are your prayers? Like those? Boldness in prayer is an uncomfortable thought for many. We think of speaking softly to God, humbling ourselves before God, or having a chat with God. But agonizing before God? Storming heaven with prayers? Pounding on the door of the Most High? Wrestling with God? Isn't that irreverent, even presumptuous? It would be had God not invited us to pray that way. "So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive his mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need." (Heb. 4:16) Joshua did that, but not before he didn't. His prayer life teaches us what happens when we don't pray, as much as it tells us how to pray.

In the days following the Shechem gathering, a group of strangers entered Joshua's camp. They told him, "From a very far country your servants have come." (Josh. 9:9) They presented themselves as hapless pilgrims from a distant place. And everything seemed to fit their story. Their grain sacks, sandals and clothes were all worn out. Even their bread was moldy and dry. They praised the accomplishments of God, and asked Joshua and his men to make a covenant with them. Joshua weighed the options, and his rulers eventually agreed. Three days passed before Joshua realized he’d been hoodwinked. These people weren’t from a distant land; they were from Gibeon, only a day's walk away. Their weathered clothing was a disguise. They pretended to be foreigners because they knew that the Hebrews had ransacked Jericho and Ai. Maybe they also knew about God's laws which had a special provision for any city that agreed to make peace with God’s people would be spared. So, they resorted to deception.

Why didn't Joshua and the elders detect the ruse? Because "they did not ask counsel of the LORD." (Josh. 9:14) The practice of the Hebrews was supposed to be pray first, act later. In fact, Joshua was told to "stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD." (Num. 27:21) But Joshua didn’t do that. He and his council entered into an alliance with the enemy because they didn't first seek the counsel of God. We’d do well to learn from Joshua's mistake.

Our enemy enters our camp in a disguise, too. "Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." (2 Cor. 11:14) He’s crafty. That's why it’s essential that we consult God in everything. Always. Live with one ear toward heaven. Keep the line open to God. "Is this opportunity from you, God?" "Are you in this venture, God?" "Should I take this road, God?" At every decision. At each crossroad. Acknowledge him, heed him, and ask him, Do I turn right or left? "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths." (Prov. 3:5-6) Our relationship with God is exactly that: a relationship. His invitation is clear and simple: "Come and talk with me, O my people." (Ps. 27:8) And what should be our response? "Lord, I am coming." (v. 8) We abide with him, and he abides with us. He grants wisdom as we need it.

God will help us against the tempter. He will disclose the craftiness of Satan. But we must regularly consult him. In everything. His word is a "lamp unto [our] feet" (Ps. 119:105), not a halogen spotlight into the future. He gives us enough light to take the next step. Call it footstep faith. We learn to hear God's voice telling us to turn this way or that way. "Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, 'This is the way you should go,' whether to the right or to the left." (Isa. 30:21) Refer every decision to the tribunal of heaven. Wait until God speaks before you act. Be patient. Monitor your impulses. "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye." (Ps. 32:8) If you feel a check in your heart, heed it and ask God again. That’s the only way to outwit the devil's deceit. Consult God in everything and call on God for great things. Joshua did.

The alliance with the Gibeonites quickly proved to be a trainwreck. The other kings of Canaan saw the Gibeonites as traitors and set out to attack and kill them. Five armies bore down on the people of Gibeon. They were overwhelmingly outnumbered, but since they had an alliance with Joshua they asked the Hebrews for help. And because he had given his word, Joshua had no choice but to come to their rescue. “So, Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. And the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.’ Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal.” (Josh. 10:7-9)

The five kings didn’t stand a chance. Apparently they didn’t expect Joshua to respond with such fervor. They turned and ran with the Hebrews hot on their heels. And as Joshua's army thundered behind them, the clouds began to thunder above them. "Large hailstones" fell from the sky in a divine carpet bombing. (v. 11) Joshua saw the hailstones falling and anticipated the sun setting. But it was midday. We need more time, he realized. Nightfall would give the enemies a chance to regroup. If he had just a few more hours of daylight, he could win the battle and strike a decisive blow. So, he began to pray. He’d failed to pray about the Gibeonites, but he didn't make the same mistake twice. So, Joshua prayed. For reinforcements? No, he prayed for the world to stop. Now that’s praying, or just plain crazy.

“The day God gave the Amorites up to Israel, Joshua spoke to God, with all Israel listening: ‘Stop, sun, over Gibeon; halt, moon, over Aijalon Valley.’ And the sun stopped, and the moon stood stock still until he defeated his enemies. (You can find this written in the Book of Jashar.) The sun stopped in its tracks in mid sky; just sat there all day. There’s never been a day like that before or since — God took orders from a human voice! Truly, God fought for Israel.” (Josh. 10:12-14) This was a stunning, unprecedented prayer. The narrator, knowing his readers would be shocked at the story, referred to the Book of Jashar, an extra-biblical volume that contained stories of the Hebrew people. He was saying, in effect, "Hey, if you think that one’s hard to believe, just check it out in the Book of Jashar." But the verse that really deserves your highlighter is verse 14. "GOD took orders from a human voice!" God, in his providence, pressed the solar Pause button. He chose to hear and heed Joshua's request. Might he do something similar for us?

Greg Pruett is trained as an engineer, linguist and Bible translator. But his most significant contribution might be in the area of "extreme prayer." In his book by the same name, he relates how he returned from Guinea, West Africa, to assume the role as president of Pioneer Bible Translators. It was 2008. The great recession was sucking dollars out of the economy and confidence out of the public. The ministry's financials were in a free fall toward a pool of red ink. Greg had no tangible place to cut expenses. Resources were few, and donors were fast disappearing. Greg knew of only one response: prayer. "That's when I began to learn not to pray about my strategies, but to make prayer the strategy." So, in July he wrote a half-page letter to his teammates worldwide, calling them to prayer. He urged them to stand before God's throne with specific and bold requests. They did, and Greg described the result: “When I saw the end-of-the-year report, I knew God had heard our prayers. My eyes welled up with tears . . . If a financial expert were to analyze this graph, he or she would put their finger on the month of July and say, ‘What did you do right here? Whatever it was, you need to do a lot more of that.’ I searched in vain for a tangible explanation. I wanted to find trends to explain how it worked, so we could do it again. I never could . . . I just know [God] provided. All I had was God and prayer.”

Maybe God and prayer are all you have, too. Like Joshua, you face battles. Maybe five kings are bearing down on you called discouragement, deception, defeat, destruction and death. They roar into your world like the Hells Angels. Their goal is to chase you back into the wilderness. But don’t give them an inch. Respond in prayer – honest, continual and audacious prayer. You’re a member of God's family. You come to God not as a stranger but as an heir. Confidently approach his throne. Earnestly make your requests known to him – not because of what you’ve achieved, but because of what Christ has done. Jesus spilled his blood for you, so you can certainly spill your heart to God. "Ask and it will be given to you." (Matt. 7:7) "If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer." (Matt. 21:22) Yes, it’s a battle, but you’re not fighting in vain. Consult God in all things. Call on him for great things. And then bring extra sunscreen because the day of victory may very well last long into the night.

Grace,

Randy

Voices, Choices and Consequences

 

Voices, Choices and Consequences

Voices, Choices and Consequences - Audio/Visual 

Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal. He followed the commands that Moses the Lord’s servant had written in the Book of Instruction: “Make me an altar from stones that are uncut and have not been shaped with iron tools.” Then on the altar they presented burnt offerings and peace offerings to the Lord. And as the Israelites watched, Joshua copied onto the stones of the altar the instructions Moses had given them. (Joshua 8:30-32)

The last words I remember hearing before stepping into the water were, “Remember, son, still waters run deep.” I waved away the odd warning without even turning around. Still waters? What was he talking about? I was in my dad’s waders on the banks of the Metolius River with a fly rod in hand and big trout on my mind. Besides, this was a river. What was my dad talking about? The words “River” and “still” don’t even go together. And that’s when I spotted it; the perfect place to wade into the clear, frigid waters of the Metolius – a beautiful river nestled in a forested valley on the east side of the Cascades in central Oregon. It’s one of the largest spring-fed rivers in the United States whose clear, cold and constant waters are to fly-fishing what Wrigley Field is to the Cubs. That still pool of crystal-clear water couldn’t have been more than a foot deep, anyway. It was the perfect place to wade out into the river and catch some monster trout. It was more than a foot deep.

It was closer to four feet deep, and my three-foot waders on my 5’10” frame were filling up with ice cold water. Fast. In fact, the water was so cold that I started to hyperventilate as I was carried out into the middle of the river by the swift-flowing water. Teenagers, you know, think they can do anything, but the only thing I wanted to do at that moment was to save my dad’s cherished fly rod and reel. So, I found a little island out in the middle of the river, threw the rod and reel onto dry land and looked for something to grab onto before taking an unplanned whitewater rafting trip down the river in waders, rather than a kayak. That’s when I spotted a log near where I had thrown the rod and reel. I latched onto it and pulled myself onto the sandbar. Soaked and shivering, I sheepishly looked across the river at my mom and dad, dumped the water from the waders, and found my way back to the river’s edge. The only thing that would’ve made me feel better that day was if I’d at least found some trout in those waders.

Life comes with voices. Voices lead to choices, and choices have consequences. Why do some saints thrive while others scramble to survive? Why do some tackle Everest-sized challenges and succeed, while others walk seemingly downhill paths and stumble? Why are some people unquenchably content while others are inexplicably unhappy? Some seasons feel like a downhill, downwind bike ride. Others are like pedaling a flat-tired unicycle up Pikes Peak. Why? The answer comes back to voices and choices. Our happiest days happen when we make good choices. Troubles happen when we don't.

That’s the headline message delivered by Joshua to the nationwide assembly in the Valley of Shechem. As you compile your list of key geographical touchstones in the book of Joshua, don't overlook this one. The list includes: the Jordan River (site of the crossing); the Gilgal encampment (the stones of remembrance, and the renewal of circumcision); Jericho (where Joshua saw the Commander, and the walls collapsed); Ai (where Achan fell, and Joshua rebounded); and now, Shechem.

The pilgrimage to Shechem was actually Moses' idea. (Deut. 27:4-8) He had instructed Joshua to bring the invasion to a halt, and every person to the Valley of Shechem. Shechem was a twenty-mile hike from the Hebrew encampment at Gilgal, and the Hebrews must have looked like an Amazon River of humanity as they marched inexorably toward their destination. Once they reached the valley, Joshua set about the task of building an altar. (Josh. 8:30-32)

In the ancient Near East, it was customary for kings to commemorate their military achievements by recording their conquests on huge stones covered with plaster. Joshua, however, didn't memorialize his work. He celebrated God's law. The secret to the successful campaign of the Hebrews was not the strength of its army, but the resolve of its people to keep God's commandments. And then this: “Then all Israel, with their elders and officers and judges, stood on either side of the ark before the priests, the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the stranger as well as he who was born among them. Half of them were in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.” (vv. 33-34)

The then-meadows of Shechem sat between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. Gardens, orchards and olive groves grew throughout the valley. Limestone strata sit in the deepest part of the ravine, broken into ledges giving the appearance of a series of stone benches. The rock formation creates a natural amphitheater with acoustic properties that allow sounds originating on one side of the valley to be heard on the other. So, the twelve tribes were assigned their places: six on one side, and six on the other, about 1.6 miles separating the two mountaintops. In between the tribes stood the priests, Levites, leaders, and the Ark of the Covenant. When Joshua and the Levites read the blessings, the million or so people standing on Gerizim shouted, "Amen!" And when the leaders read the curses, the million or so remaining on Ebal declared, "Amen!"

Can you imagine the drama of that moment? "If you listen obediently to the voice of God, he will . . . "Defeat your enemies!" "Amen!" "Order a blessing on your barns!" "Amen!" "Lavish you with good things!" "Amen!" "Throw open the doors of his sky vaults and pour rain on your land." "Amen!" (See, Deut. 28:1-13) The proclamation of the curses followed the same pattern. "Cursed is anyone who . . . "Carves a god image!" "Amen!" "Demeans a parent!" "Amen!" "Takes a bribe to kill an innocent person." "Amen!" (See, Deut. 27) Back and forth, back and forth. Voices reverberated off the stone cliffs. All the people – children, immigrants, everyone – in antiphonal rhythm proclaimed their values. "There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them." (Josh. 8:35)

Keep in mind the “when” and “where” of this particular assembly. This was in the middle of an invasion, in the midst of enemy territory. These desert-toughened people pressed the Pause button on the physical battle in order to fight the spiritual one, because heeding God's Word is more critical than fighting God's war. In fact, heeding God's Word is fighting God's war. Conquest happens as the covenant is honored. Do you want to experience life to the fullest? Then obey God's commands. What? Were you expecting something more mystical, more exotic, more erudite or even complicated? Not necessary.

Did you think that your best life was birthed from ecstatic utterances or angelic visions, mountaintop moments or midnight messages from heaven? Sorry. "Obedience," wrote C. S. Lewis, "is the key to all doors." Don't think for a second that you can heed the wrong voice or make the wrong choice and escape the consequences. At the same time, obedience leads to a waterfall of goodness not just for you but for your children, your children's children, and the children of a thousand generations in the future. God promises to show "love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." (Ex. 20:6) As we obey God's commands, we open the door to God's favor.

Obedience leads to blessing. Disobedience leads to trouble. Remember Jesus' parable about the two builders who each built a house? One built on cheap, easy-to-access sand. The other built on costly, difficult-to-reach rock. The second construction project demanded more time and expense, but when the spring rains turned the creek into a gulley washer, guess which builder enjoyed a blessing and which experienced trouble? According to Jesus, the wise builder is "whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them." (Matt. 7:24) Both builders heard the teachings. The difference between the two was not knowledge versus ignorance, but obedience versus disobedience. Security comes as we put God's precepts into practice. We're only as strong as our obedience. As the apostle James encourages, "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (James 1:22)

Voices await you. Maybe not on the banks of the Metolius, but at work, in your neighborhood, at school or on the Internet. They're waiting for you. You can't eliminate their presence, but you can prepare for their invitation by remembering whose you are. You are God's child. You've been bought by the most precious commodity in the history of the universe: the blood of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of the living God indwells you. You are being equipped for an eternal assignment that will empower you to live in the very presence of God. You’ve been set apart for a holy calling. You are his. And remember where you are. This is Canaan. You’re in the Promised Land. Not geographically, but spiritually. This is the land of grace, hope, freedom, truth, love and life. The devil has no jurisdiction over you. He may act like he does, but as you resist him and turn to God he must flee. (James 4:7) Decide now what you will say then. Choose obedience. And, as you do, you can expect blessings: the blessing of a clean conscience; the blessing of a good night's sleep; the blessing of God's fellowship; the blessing of God's favor. This is no guarantee of an easy life. It’s simply the assurance of God's help. "The good man does not escape all troubles – he has them too. But the Lord helps him in each and every one." (Ps. 34:19)

One final thought before leaving the Valley of Shechem. Take note of the altar's location. Did you notice where it was built? Not on Gerizim, the mount of blessing. Joshua built it on Ebal, the hill of the cursing, instead. You see, even in the midst of poor choices, there’s grace. So, may we hear the right voice. May we make the right choice. May we enjoy blessing upon blessing. But if we don't, may we return to the altar on Ebal. It was built for people just like you and me.

Grace,

Randy