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Friday, February 17, 2012
Today: “You have my orders”!
Passage: Joshua 8
8 When you have taken the city, set it on fire. Do what the LORD has commanded. See to it; you have my orders.” 9 Then Joshua sent them off, and they went to the place of ambush and lay in wait between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai—but Joshua spent that night with the people. – (Joshua 8, NIV 84)-emphasis added
We have been on this topic past three days. This is the fourth and final
Joshua’s words came from his faith and from his relationship with God
We have seen many people “commanding” to the devil, and nothing much happens!
Its all about speaking for God vs. speaking for yourself
Moses was by the red-sea with his people around him and Pharaoh behind. See what the people told him and how Moses responded:
12 Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Ex 14, NIV 84)
Moses knew that he was following God’s orders. So he didn’t care what the people said. Instead, Moses said something like this: “you just keep quiet and let God do what He wants to do”
The words of Moses proved to God that there was one man willing to believe. God is not looking at the thousands who disbilieve, but at the one who believes. Later on, when 12 people were sent to spy the land, only two brought a good report. The majority said, it was going to be impossible!
The lack of faith of a thousand others cannot stop the work of God, if there is just one “Moses” or “Joshua” willing to believe and act
This kind of faith is not only for men but also for women. We know what Mary did, in that wedding in Cana. She ran to Jesus as soon as she identified a problem in the house. She treated it as “her own” problem and took the right action. Just as Joshua spent the night with the people, Mary identified herself with the people of the house. But Jesus told her that His time had not yet come!
4 “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2, NIV 84)
I believe, the words of faith that came out of Mary triggered God into action
She said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
That was a command, not a concession!
In my words, Mary was telling those servants: “You have my orders. Do whatever He tells you; just do it!”
How can God not do it, when Mary had such a faith in God?
Mary knew Jesus. She knew the magnitude of the problem in that house. She didn’t know exactly what Jesus was going to do, but she just believed!
Now, it is our turn. What are we going to do about the situation?
Have a blessed weekend!, as you ponder upon these things
BG
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being there for me. I see that the distance between my problem and their answers is the distance between me and my faith in you. Help me act at the right time in the right way. Amen
“God is not waiting for His turn to act; He is waiting on yours!”