Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
March 19, 2022: SOAP #4489:  Joshua 3-6; 1Corinthians 4

SCRIPTURE:  Joshua (NIV) 5:13 Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” 14 “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” 15 The commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

OBSERVATION: This man did not come to give battle advice, but to take charge.  Joshua was no longer in charge.  Joshua could only give orders if he could take orders.  The battle plan for taking Jericho was designed to give Joshua the opportunity to prove that he could follow orders. 

Marching around a city once a day for six days and then seven times on the seventh day is not recognized as a great strategy for taking a city.  But it was a great strategy to see if Joshua could follow orders. 

APPLICATION: To me it is black and white.  I am right and the other side is wrong.  Like Joshua, I ask, “Lord, are you for me or for my enemy?”  But more important to the Lord:  is my heart fully surrendered to him?  Can He trust me to do what He says?  Can I follow orders?

Often, the instructions He gives are not designed to fix my problem, but to demonstrate my obedience!   Once the Lordship issue is settled, God brings the deliverance needed.  Obedience proves submission and submission takes priority over everything else.  Once the Lord wins the battle inside me, He can then use me to win battles on the outside!

PRAYER:  Lord even though I may not understand how your plan will work, I do know that no one is more capable of being in charge than you.  I know the wisest thing I can do is to trust and obey you.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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