To Encourage You

Hebrews 11:30 “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days.”

After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, Israel crossed the Jordan River and began to enter the Promised Land.  However, they immediately found an obstacle in their path, the city of Jericho.  It was a city full of enemies, and it was surrounded by an impregnable wall.  Although Jericho was part of the Promised Land, its land couldn’t be occupied unless this city was first destroyed.   So, what was the nation to do?

As with any insurmountable problem, the first thing was to go to God. But His answer was oh so strange. God told Joshua to assemble the people and circle the city, silently, that is, except for the blowing of seven trumpets by seven priests. They were to do this for six days, all the while carrying with them the ark of the covenant. Then on the seventh day they were to encircle the city walls seven times, and then they were to shout. If they would but do exactly what God said, the walls of Jericho would fall down and the Israelites would completely destroy the city. 

Isn’t it interesting that, like in the case of this story, Christians may face great obstacles to fully realizing the promises of God?  The Bible tells us that we are not of this world, although we live in it (John 17:16).  As the believer experiences his or her daily walk, there is a constant warfare to be waged in this land that is not our own.  The Bible is clear that one of the greatest enemies of the Christian is “the world.”  When the Bible talks about “the world,” it’s not talking about the physical globe. It’s talking about the Satanic systems that have been established in it and through which he works to propagate his lies.  Things like false religion, human philosophies, worldly pleasures, the media, and even government are beachheads by which he deceives the world and tempts the Christian. They are alluring things, established things; they are just the way the natural world works. 

One of the ways Satan tempted the Lord Jesus was to show Him “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory” (Matthew 4:8). He told Jesus that all of this, all the greatest wonders, powers, and pleasures that this world had to offer could be His if He would just fall at Satan’s feet and worship.  Of course, Jesus refused, but sadly, so many others have fallen to such allurements.  Jesus spoke of this in the parable of the sower, where the seed (His word) is sometimes “sown among thorns, (and) this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22).  It is these temptations that must be destroyed in the believer’s life if he or she is ever to experience the spiritual promises of God which are so much more wonderful than the treasures of this world. 

But how do we do this? How do we defeat the temptations of this enemy of our souls? It is in the very same way that God’s people defeated Jericho.  By obedience to the Word of God.  No matter what He tells us, no matter if it makes sense to us or not, we are to obey.  As Israel walked day after day around the walls of Jericho carrying the ark, so we are to daily, consistently, walk in obedience and communion with the Lord, which the ark represents.  We are to do this together, as we live life in fellowship with other Christians, encouraging one another in the faith.  We are to daily call on the Lord in prayer, and daily preach and teach the gospel, proclaiming the judgment of God on sin and the forgiveness for that sin that is available to us through belief in God’s Son. 

Just as the battle plan that God had drawn up regarding Jericho must have seemed so strange or even foolish to those who watched (and participated), the gospel, i.e., “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). On the other hand, “the wisdom of this world is folly with God” (1 Corinthians 1:19). It is as we walk with Christ and learn to love his Word that, as the old hymn says, “the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” It’s all in what we love.  Is it the world, or is it Christ? Remember these words of Jesus: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24). And, likewise, we are told this: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17).”

So, who or what are you loving today?