The story is told of a set of people who were one step away from finally claiming land that was promised to their forefathers, generations their time.
This promise had been repeated to these wandering people a few times as they went around in circles for years and years and years in a Wilderness; and if the promise was true, this should be their moment. They had left a land that had enslaved them, and had experienced the magnificence of a God that they had forgotten time and time again, as the demands of slavery forced them to feel abandoned and Fatherless.
But, here He was, trying to redeem Himself. Their trust in Him whom they thought had forgotten their people for over two hundred years was slowly being built as they crossed a vast sea on dry land, they saw water sprew from rocks – more than once, actually, and they enjoyed fresh manna from the sky six days per week for these forty years. He was growing them.
They weren’t happy that the journey was taking this long, but that is water under the bridge, as they were nearing the end. They had not had a permanent home since they were teenagers, and now, well, this was it. They were all less than twenty when they had left slavery, and these forty years of freedom have been eye opening. They are now told that this was it, and they believe that they are ready.
Finally, the time has come to settle down. The eldest set of folks in this group were now approaching 60 years. For reasons they would rather forget, only two of the original people above twenty years old will get to go to this “Promised Land”. All the others passed away during the time in the wilderness.
To top it all off, their old leader had just disappeared into the mountains and they heard that he had died. Of course, they mourned for about a month, but now they were refocused and ready to keep on moving. They needed to just get ‘home’.
His apprentice, a guy named Joshua, took over. He had been almost like a shadow to the other guy for absolute years. He knew the ins and outs of the plan. He had even seen the land before, and he thought it was perfect. If it was up to him, the journey would have been a month instead of forty years. He was the perfect candidate.
There were some hurdles to cross, but they were done with ease. No, with Faith! They had done them all through a load of faith in a God they were coming to believe in completely. They had now crossed the River Jordan on parched, dried, land. They saw as the priests stepped into the water, balancing the ark on their shoulders. They saw the water separate, and the priests marched on ahead as if it was no big deal. Everyone, to the last person, walked through on dry land, with not even as much as a sprinkle. They were on a high. It’s just like it had happened when they were younger and crossed over from Egypt to the WIlderness.
But, here they were on the other side, feet actually touching the land that was promised to them, but they were stuck. There was a city they couldn’t seem to get around, and the leaders won’t let them through. They were between a rock and a hard place. When will the journey end? When will it just be an easy road? When?
The Leader, Joshua, got to work. He prayed like he had not done before. Then, he waited. Finally, the answer seems to have come. He called everyone together and began giving out instructions. Everyone was told to line up. They were going to do something different. There would be no fighting today, instead, they were going to march once around the city, then return to their camp.
For the next six days, everyone was called to get in line, the priests leading ahead, skillfully balancing the ark, and they would march around the city. Then, on the seventh day, the instructions were a little different. They would march seven times, and at the end, they would make a shout. Strange, but so has everything these years have been. Thankfully, the results have been worth it. So, they did it. They began to march.
They went around, once, then twice, and again and again. Six times, each time ignoring the looks and probably laughter and mockery of the villagers inside the city.
They shouted!
Then it happened!
The walls of the city toppled like a game of jenga after that one solid block was removed. They were in. They could get the land that was promised to them, generations before.
Take No Thought
Friends, you have followed all protocols. You have been through your wilderness, crossed your Jordan, but Jericho is now before you and you are stuck.
There’s a beautiful quote that I have found in a book called Last Days Events which says “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teachings in our past history” (pg. 72:1)
These weary, wandering people did not complain when they had to do the bizarre, attention drawing business of marching behind some ark carrying priests around a city, as I believe they had not forgotten how the Lord had led them in the past. They were willing to trust Him now, as He had proven Himself well so far. They were choosing to Take No Thought, because they had previously experienced His hands in their lives.
I would suggest you take a moment to think about how the Lord has been to you in the past. Whether you are a christian or not, I’m sure you can think of things that have happened that you know were just outside of human understanding, or simply things that seem to just have ‘fallen into place’. Use those moments as your benchmark as you go through each day. Use those moments to “Take No Thought” as you trust the Lord to break down your Jericho walls.
