{"id":13103,"date":"2020-12-16T21:00:28","date_gmt":"2020-12-17T04:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/joshua_10_1-11-copy\/"},"modified":"2020-12-13T19:01:47","modified_gmt":"2020-12-14T02:01:47","slug":"joshua_10_12-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/joshua_10_12-21\/","title":{"rendered":"Aim High"},"content":{"rendered":"

Joshua 10:12-21 Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Joshua 10:12-21.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Joshua 10:12-15 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0On the day the\u00a0LORD\u00a0gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the\u00a0LORD\u00a0in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the\u00a0LORD\u00a0listened to a man. Surely the\u00a0LORD\u00a0was fighting for Israel!
\n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 12-15:\u00a0\u00a0So far in the book of Joshua, whenever Joshua experienced a miracle, it was because he heard the Lord speak and responded in faith.\u00a0\u00a0This time, however, Joshua takes the initiative and God responds, as verse 14 suggests.\u00a0\u00a0Joshua says to the Lord in the presence of Israel: \u201cO sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon\u201d (v12).\u00a0\u00a0According to these verses, the sun and moon obeyed Joshua\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n

What exactly happened on that day?\u00a0\u00a0Did the sun and moon actually \u201cstand still\u201d?\u00a0\u00a0Some scholars have posited various theories as to what happened.\u00a0\u00a0For example, maybe God caused the earth to temporarily stop rotating, or maybe somehow there was significantly longer daylight than usual.\u00a0\u00a0Others posit that maybe what the Israelites experienced was a solar eclipse.\u00a0\u00a0Others still suggest that when verse 13 says \u201cthe sun stood still, and the moon stopped\u201d and that\u00a0\u201c[t]he sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day\u201d, this was figurative language, a poetic description of how the Israelites did not rest until the Amorites were totally defeated.\u00a0\u00a0We don\u2019t know the answer for sure.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s one of those questions you can ask God about in heaven one day.<\/p>\n

In any event, what can we learn from this?<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Our words have creative power.\u00a0\u00a0When we speak to God in faith about our circumstances as Joshua did, there is power in our words to produce good in our lives and to see God move powerfully.\u00a0\u00a0So harness the power of your words by speaking with faith.\u00a0\u00a0In fact, I believe the creative power of our words is one way in which we have been made in the image of God.\u00a0\u00a0Just as God spoke the universe into being, so we create our worlds with our words.\u00a0\u00a0Speak joyful, hopeful words and your world will be filled with joy and hope.\u00a0\u00a0Speak complaining, negative words and your world will be a depressed and hopeless one.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0God doesn\u2019t just want us to respond to Him in faith.\u00a0\u00a0I believe God also enjoys it and honours it when we take initiative, hanging onto with faith in one hand and wisdom in the other.\u00a0\u00a0So don\u2019t always insist that you need to hear the audible voice of God speaking to you before you move in faith.\u00a0\u00a0Rather, trust in the promises of God\u2019s Word, ask God for wisdom, and speak in faith, believing that miracles will follow your faith.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Notice that though Joshua\u2019s words were addressed to the sun (\u201cO sun\u201d) and the moon (\u201cO moon\u201d) (v12), Joshua was speaking these words \u201cto the Lord<\/em>\u201d (v12).\u00a0\u00a0This tells me that speaking to your circumstances with faith can be effective when deep down in your heart you are depending on the Lord, not in yourself.\u00a0You can say, \u201cIn Jesus\u2019 name, worry get away from me\u201d and those words will be effective when your focus is on the Lord.\u00a0\u00a0You can say, \u201cIn Jesus\u2019 name, peace fill my heart\u201d and those words will be effective when in your heart you\u2019re speaking them with an attitude of faith in the Lord.<\/p>\n

Joshua 10:16-18 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Now the five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah.
\n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah,
\n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0he said, “Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 16-18: The Amorite kings were hiding in a cave and seemed defenseless and defeated.\u00a0\u00a0But Joshua didn\u2019t want to take any chances. So Joshua rolls large rocks to block the cave and posts men to guard the cave to keep the Amorite kings from escaping.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0Jesus triumphed over Satan at the cross and at his resurrection.\u00a0\u00a0However, Satan is still alive and working today.\u00a0\u00a0He will not be completely disabled until Jesus comes again.\u00a0\u00a0Like an Amorite king in a cave, Satan is contained, but he can still do much harm.\u00a0\u00a0That is why every day we need to stand guard against our enemy Satan<\/strong>, just as Joshua remained on guard against the Amorite kings.\u00a0\u00a0As 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NLT2) says, \u201cBe on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joshua 10:19-21 (NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n19\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But don’t stop! Pursue your enemies, attack them from the rear and don’t let them reach their cities, for the\u00a0LORD\u00a0your God has given them into your hand.”
\n20\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So Joshua and the Israelites destroyed them completely–almost to a man–but the few who were left reached their fortified cities.
\n21\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered a word against the Israelites.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 19-21: Despite trapping the five Amorite kings in the cave, Joshua is not satisfied. He insists that his troops keep pursuing the Amorite soldiers.\u00a0\u00a0Joshua gives them the goal of not letting the Amorite soldiers reach their fortified cities (v19).\u00a0\u00a0In the end only a few surviving Amorites reach their fortified cities (v20).<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this? Aim high and dream big.\u00a0\u00a0As 2 Corinthians 13:11 encourages us, \u201caim for perfection\u201d, for excellence.\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t settle for mediocrity when serving God.\u00a0\u00a0As Pastor Norman Vincent Peale was once quoted as saying, \u201cShoot for the moon.\u00a0\u00a0Even if you miss you\u2019ll land among the stars\u201d.<\/p>\n

Heavenly Father, since there is creative power in my words, may I not be afraid to use that power for good.\u00a0\u00a0Since my world is very much a product of my words, may I speak words of faith and not fear, hope and not hopelessness, gratitude and not complaining.\u00a0\u00a0Please also help me to stand guard against the enemy today and every day, and to aim high when setting goals for the future.\u00a0\u00a0In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Joshua 10:12-21.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Joshua 10:12-15 (NIV)\u00a0
\n12\u00a0\u00a0On the day the\u00a0LORD\u00a0gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the\u00a0LORD\u00a0in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”\u00a0
\n13\u00a0\u00a0So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.\u00a0
\n14\u00a0\u00a0There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the\u00a0LORD\u00a0listened to a man. Surely the\u00a0LORD\u00a0was fighting for Israel!\u00a0
\n15\u00a0\u00a0Then Joshua returned with all Israel to the camp at Gilgal.<\/p>\n

On verses 12-15:\u00a0\u00a0So far in the book of Joshua, whenever Joshua experienced a miracle, it was because he heard the Lord speak and responded in faith.\u00a0\u00a0This time, however, Joshua takes the initiative and God responds, as verse 14 suggests.\u00a0\u00a0Joshua says to the Lord in the presence of Israel: \u201cO sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon\u201d (v12).\u00a0\u00a0According to these verses, the sun and moon obeyed Joshua\u2019s voice.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13105,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13103"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13104,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13103\/revisions\/13104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}