What constitutes strength? Might, power, brute force, the ability to talk louder or longer than anyone else?
The Jericho overthrow story recorded in Joshua chapter 6 gives an example of a different way. One that shows the power of God, one that quietly waits for His moment.
They march round outside the city once per day for 6 days, and then on the seventh day a further 6 times. Each time they just had the trumpets sounding. No shouting, no jeering, no war cry. It was a show of strength through quiet trust. Not only did they have to keep silent, they had to be patient: only when the time was right would the walls come down.
Eventually that super-7 moment came: the 7th time round on the 7th day. This is the moment to let trust in God quietly brewed up over the week burst out. The walls immediately collapsed without a single stone being thrown.
To lead out in mission will require battles to be fought along the way. But which kind of strength will you deploy? Quickly mustered bravado, or quiet trust in God carefully brewed in patient waiting?
Friday, 23 May 2014
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