Author: Ms. Rita's Minute

Today, I was reminded of the Bible’s account of Joshua and the city of Jericho in Joshua 6. In this story, God gave Joshua the command to overtake Jericho, the gateway city to Canaan, the promised land by God to the Israelites. Joshua was given specific instructions to have the people walk around the city of Jericho once a day, for six days, and seven times on the seventh day, with seven priests blowing seven trumpets, in front of the Ark of the Covenant. Securing this land was a promise made to Abraham back in the book of Genesis. However, now Joshua was faced with the Lord’s specific orders to conquer the city. Yet, he was not to take control of the city in the fashion to which they were accustomed, but a way that required distinct steps of obedience to achieve a valuable, long-awaited goal.

After the seventh march around the city on the seventh day, the people were instructed to shout for the Lord had given them the city. They were also directed on what things were to be avoided and those things to be kept for the treasury of the Lord. So as the people shouted and the horns were blown, the walls of Jericho fell down; then the people charged straight ahead into the city and captured it. The important thing to note is the particular actions that the Lord commanded to be taken for them to be successful. They couldn’t disregard His commands and expect to reap the benefits of victory. But they had to clearly obey each step to take hold of their promise.

What promises were you given by the Lord that you are waiting for? Has he given you any specific commands to obtain any of them? We should ask ourselves this question as we wait for those things He’s assured we’d receive. We must wait in faith and make sure we are doing anything He may have told us to do to acquire them. As we do, we can be certain, despite any obstacles, we will receive them if we don’t give up! God’s word will not return to him empty, but will accomplish what He pleases and will achieve the purpose he desires. In other words, if He said it, that settles it. He is not a man that lies.

When someone appears unattractive, undesirable, or downright prickly as a porcupine, we normally define this type of person as unlovable–people who make us cringe during conversation or those who have a slant toward rudeness, perhaps. However, Jesus speaks to us in the Bible about loving others; even our enemies (Matthew 5:43-45). Yet, sometimes, this can seem an unimaginable task. Nevertheless, we as believers, are given the ability to accomplish this goal by the power of the Holy Spirit and “…if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:13)

A healthy observation would be for us to remember how much we’ve changed for the better from the person we knew who had our share of discouraging flaws. We should look to extend to others the grace shown to us when we weren’t as lovely as we deem ourselves today. To that end, we should love “unlovable” people, pray for them and realize that any lasting transformation can only occur via them and God.

Ever think about the style in which Jesus communicated with people? Even a quick scan through the Bible’s New Testament shows us that He didn’t use an excessive number of words to express himself. However, His ability to speak with clarity, authority, and confidence in every situation was striking to behold. His parables and analogies were remarkable, and it appears his audience always departed thoughtful and inspired.

What if we followed His example in how we shared information? Our goal is to specifically ensure that our audience receives the critical points of our message. This doesn’t mean we need to be lengthy in our approach, but we should be distinct in our expression of God’s word to others. What are the key points and conclusions we wish to convey? Our listeners will appreciate simple, uncomplicated methods of speech.