Scripture:

“When King Jabin of Hazor heard what had happened, he sent messages to the following kings: King Jobab of Madon; the king of Shimron; the king of Acshaph; all the kings of the northern hill country; the kings in the Jordan Valley south of Galilee; the kings in the Galilean foothills; the kings of Naphoth-dor on the west; the kings of Canaan, both east and west; the kings of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites in the hill country, and the Hivites in the towns on the slopes of Mount Hermon in the land of Mizpah. All these kings came out to fight. Their combined armies formed a vast horde. And with all their horses and chariots, they covered the landscape like the sand on the seashore. The kings joined forces and established their camp around the water near Merom to fight against Israel.

 

Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel as dead men. Then you must cripple their horses and burn their chariots.’

 

So Joshua and all his fighting men traveled to the water near Merom and attacked suddenly. And the Lord gave them victory over their enemies.” Joshua 11:1-8a (NLT)

 

Perspective:

Joshua had been handed the mantle from Moses to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Forty years earlier, Joshua and Caleb had believed God for the Promised Land when their peers shrunk back in fear, resulting in wandering in the wilderness. As Joshua led the people forward into the Promised Land, there were many battles and victories that they had yet to experience. In Joshua 10, they had just experienced God’s supernatural power that made the sun stand still during their battle and gave them victory over their enemies. However, not everyone was celebrating their success. Instead of the battles getting smaller and easier, the next battle that Joshua and the Israelites would face would be even greater. A group of kings heard about Joshua’s success and decided to attack the Israelites. The Israelites were outnumbered on every front. Yet, God instructed Joshua to not be afraid. Don’t fear the size of the enemy army, because with God, the Israelites were still in the majority. Don’t fear their chariots and horses that make them seem far superior in their training for battle, because God brings the victory. Don’t fear the number of kings coming against the Israelites, because the King is greater. As Joshua and his men walked right into the midst of the battle, God brought deliverance.

 

When we experience the faithfulness of God, it serves to build our faith for the challenges that are before us. We can have the perception that the battles will get easier and smaller, but it is rare. While the Israelites had just experienced the miracle of the sun standing still in the middle of the sky for their previous battle, the Lord still reminded Joshua to not be afraid. While we can quickly bypass the fact that the sun stood still, it would have been a monumental moment for the Israelites. God defied the laws of nature to help His people. Yet, fear has an unusual way of undermining God’s faithfulness in our lives. Fear distorts our ability to see God working and overlooks the ways God has been faithful. It reduces our ability to trust God, especially when the odds are stacked against us. God knows this about fear and continued to remind Joshua to not be afraid. He knew that fear was the thing that caused the Israelites to wander in the wilderness for forty years, and it could cause Joshua to retreat as well. If you have experienced God coming through for you miraculously, remember His faithfulness. Remember that when God is for you, He will make a way where there is no way. Don’t let fear chisel away your faith. Fear might cause you to miss the very thing that God wants to bring into your life. Yet, a strong faith in God comes with an understanding that when God is on your side, you are still in the majority. Even if people have transpired against you or your back is up against a wall, God is for you. As you face a new challenge or battle, remember that God is still the God who can make the sun stand still, and He is able to give you victory. Don’t forfeit your faith by letting fear control you and cause you to miss some of God’s greatest victories in your life.

 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

[separator_small separator_width=” thickness=” up=” down=”]

About Hona Amer

I help people live life to the fullest. Check out my book, Smart Work U. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. In order to receive updates, subscribe below.

 

 

 

[separator_small separator_width=” thickness=” up=” down=”]