Corona Devo 503

My Gramma had a prim and proper side.  In her condo, things were decorated and arranged "just so".  I can still  "see" her perfectly set table with each piece of silver- and glassware arranged "just so" across the tablecloth. 

She liked things to be presented perfectly, to be arranged and carried out "just so". 

As Joshua prepared the Israelites to overcome the city of Jericho, their instructions from God were specific and "just so".  

Now the gates of Jericho were all shut because of the people of Israel. No one went out and no one came in. (2) The Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and soldiers. (3) Walk around the city. Have all the men of war go around the city once. Do this for six days. (4) Seven religious leaders (priests) will carry seven rams’ horns. They will walk in front of the ark. Then on the seventh day you will walk around the city seven times. And the religious leaders will blow horns. (5) When you hear the long sound of the ram’s horn, all the people should call out with a loud noise. The wall of the city will fall to the ground. And then all the people will all go in the city.”  ~Joshua 6:1-5

The plan really wasn't all that complicated.  God laid it out "just so".  Were you able to follow?  

1. Have all the men of war and priests go around the city once. 

2. Do this for six days. 

3. On the seventh day they will walk around the city seven times. And the religious leaders will blow horns.

5. All the people should call out with a loud noise. The wall of the city will fall to the ground.  (Joshua 6:3-5).

Easy, peasey, right?  Soldiers first, then the priests behind them with the Ark of the Lord.   Silence for six days as they do this, and then horns and shouting on the seventh day as they walk around seven times.  Then BOOM!  The walls come a tumblin' down.

Those directions seem clear, specific, and "just so", don't they? 

But that wasn't exactly how the Israelites carried out God's orders...

When Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven religious leaders carrying the seven rams’ horns before the Lord walked on and blew the horns, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. (9) The men ready for battle went in front of the religious leaders who blew the horns. The other soldiers came behind the ark, while the horns sounded without stopping. (10) But Joshua told the people, “Do not call out or let your voice be heard. Not a word should come from your mouth until the day I tell you to call out. Then you must call out.”  ~Joshua 6:8-10

Joshua tried to get them back on track with God's original orders.  He reminded them of how to carry things out "just so".  But human-nature and adrenaline kicked in yet again, but so did God's grace and they triumphed anyway.

Joshua got up early in the morning. And the priests took up the ark of the Lord (13) Then seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord began walking and blew the horns without stopping. The men ready for battle went in front of them. The other soldiers came behind the ark of the Lord. And the horns sounded without stopping. (14) ...They did this for six days.  (15) On the seventh day they got up early at the rising of the sun. They walked around the city in the same way, but on that day they walked around the city seven times. (16) The seventh time, when the religious leaders blew their horns, Joshua said to the people, “Call out! For the Lord has given you the city... (20) So the people called out and the religious leaders blew the horns. When the people heard the sound of the horns, they called out even louder. And the wall fell to the ground. All the people went straight in and took the city.   ~Joshua 6:12-16, 20 

The Israelites did not follow their marching orders "just so" because they were not perfect like God, they were human like us.  They mixed up and messed up even simple directions, but God still allowed His perfect plan to succeed through imperfect people.  Thank goodness.

If we were to review our lives this would be our synopsis over and over again.  God has a plan and it is good and fairly simple (follow Him and His Word), and yet in our excitement, our exhaustion, our "thinking", or in our selfishness, we muddy the plans or tweak the process.   But even so, I pray that You have seen God conquer cities in your life and take down walls anyway.

The Israelites were not purposely "making up their own rules", they were just being human.  Their situation was filled with a mixture of excitement/stress/intimidation and exhilaration.  We all get flustered during moments filled with these emotions.  And God knows it, because He knows us.  

We are imperfect.  We screw up His original plans and the "just so" way that He intends all the time and everyday, but He loves us still and He loves us anyway.  If our hearts are with Him, then His Way will win-out even if we are not able to keep everything along the way "just so".  

One of the walls in my Gramma's condo was a mirror.   As children it seemed to beckon our smiles and fingerprints like a beautiful magnet.  I remember hearing my mom tell us that long after we had left, Gramma would leave all of our handprints and smudges on the mirror to remind her and refill her with the joy she had while we were visiting.  Smudges come with the territory when children are involved.  I praise the Lord that he feels the same way about us, His children.  

His ways and love are pure and perfect, but God knows that His children are messy and that we create smudges as we seek to reflect Him to this world.   He loves us anyway and as long as we are doing our best to continue in seeking Him, He will come through anyway with making the walls in our lives "fall to the ground".  Even if we don't get everything perfect and "just so".  Thank goodness.

Blessings, 

Sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com