Big and Strong: Joshua and the Walls of Jericho
âWhen you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.â Joshua 6:5
Read: Joshua 6
Did you ever play the game âSimon Saysâ as a kid? If you remember, there is a leader playing the role of Simon who gives the players different instructions like âSimon says, âRub your bellyââ or âSimon says, âSpin in a circle.ââ Some of these directions are silly and donât make much sense, but if you follow all of Simonâs instructions you can win the game!
When God commanded Joshua to march in circles around the city of Jericho for seven days, the instructions sounded silly. How could walking around in circles and shouting cause the walls of Jericho to fall? God knew what He was doing, but the Israelites werenât so certain. However, they followed the instructions anyway, and after seven days they overtook Jericho as God had promised.
The Israelites obeyed God even when His plan didnât make much sense, and they were rewarded for it! If they had ignored God, they would have missed out on the incredible promises He had waiting for them in the Promised Land.
God knows whatâs best for you, even if you donât understand. Although itâs sometimes easier to follow our own plan, trusting God means believing He will do what He has promised. Believe that His plan is better than yours, have courage to follow Him, and see how He moves in your life!
Questions to think about:
- Has God ever asked you to do something that sounded strange or scary?
- How did you respond to His request?
- What were your fears?
- How will you respond to Godâs instructions in the future, knowing Joshuaâs story?