Even Before

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. -Joshua 6:2

God spoke to Joshua before the victory of Jericho even happened. And Joshua took God at His word. Why? Because Joshua trusted God Even Before. It seemed impossible to everyone else but not Joshua.

What is something you are facing right now that seems impossible? Is it a sickness or a broken relationship? Do you have an injury that is just not healing? Or maybe it is a mindset or a pattern that is so ingrained in you that you can’t possibly see how you can change. You may feel like the walls are so thick and high that you can’t imagine them coming down.

Trust even before

As I read through the pages of scripture, I see that God is the God of impossible. I also see that God is the God of deliverance. He can help you face the things in life that seem impossible. The bible is filled with stories of people who trusted God even when things seemed impossible. One of my favorite stories is about Joshua and the city of Jericho.

Jericho was a large Canaanite city who worshiped other gods. This did not please the Lord. In Joshua 5, Joshua is approached by the commander of the army of the Lord. The gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites.

In Joshua 6:2, we read “Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.” At this point, Joshua had a choice. He could choose to believe the Lord or Joshua could choose to fear and worry. If I were Joshua, I may have been thinking “Wait, what? Are you going to deliver this large pagan city into my hands? Do you see how thick those walls are and do you know how many people live there?” Joshua pushed past any doubts or fears and chose to trust the Lord.

Faith of Joshua

I love the faith of Joshua and can learn a lot from him. Did you notice when the Lord talked to Joshua? Joshua was near Jericho when the commander of the army of the Lord came to him. God spoke to Joshua BEFORE the victory of Jericho even happened. And Joshua took God at His word. Why? Because Joshua trusted God. He knew that God would come through. Joshua had lots of history with God. Many amazing miracles happened up until this point. God brought deliverance when He parted the Red Sea so the Israelites could escape the Egyptians who pursued them. At Marah, Joshua watched God turn very bitter water into water that became fit to drink.

Jordan River

One other miracle that Joshua witnessed was at the Jordan River. It was at flood stage and it seemed impossible for the Israelites to cross. But, God showed His power once again. As soon as the feet of the priests who carried the ark touched the water’s edge, the water of the Jordan from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap. Joshua knew he served the God of the impossible.

I don’t know what battle you are facing in life right now but I do know God wants to bring victory. Take a look back and see all the ways God has already pulled through for you. Always remember that the God of the universe is on your side. Will you trust God with the victory even BEFORE it comes?