And the Lord said to Joshua, Do not be afraid of them; for I have delivered them into your hand, and none of them will prevail before you. Joshua 10: 8
Many times we have gone through difficult times. We have lost jobs, broken marriages, children in some kind of drugs, loss of home, constant calls from creditors and so much more. Today, God reminds us to do like Joshua, to do like Abraham, to do like King David, to do like King Solomon and many other people who believed God. They raised their hands in the presence of God and claimed what belonged to them.
Recently, I was reading the story of Joshua in Joshua 10, when the kings of the Amorites joined in fighting Gibeon. The people of Gibeon asked Joshua for help. So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with his entire army, including all the best fighting men. The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you. Lord hurled large hailstones down on them, and more of them died from the hail than were killed by the swords of the Israelites. It was to such an extent that the sun stopped and the moon stopped. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being.
The five kings had fled and hidden in the cave at Makkedah. Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in a cave at Makkedah. When Joshua was told that the five kings had been found hiding in the cave at Makkedah, he said, “Roll large rocks up to the mouth of the cave, and post some men there to guard it. But don’t stop; pursue your enemies! Attack them from the rear and don’t let them reach their cities, for the Lord your God has given them into your hand.” So Joshua and the Israelites defeated them completely, but a few survivors managed to reach their fortified cities. The whole army then returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one uttered a word against the Israelite
Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me.” So they brought the five kings out of the cave—the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish and Eglon. When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, “Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings.” So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks. Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”
After reading this section of Joshua, it is here my dear friends that God reminds us that by raising your hands to heaven and asking Almighty God for help, He will put all your enemies under our feet. How important is to know that we are not alone. It is important to recognize that in Christ Jesus we are powerful and that we just have to extend our hands and ask for help so that we can step on your circumstances and recognize that they cannot defeat us.
Prayer: Open your heart
Lord Jesus, I am in your presence asking for your forgiveness. Today, I raise my hands to heaven to ask for your help. I recognize that only in you, Jesus, I can win battles. I ask it in your name Jesus, Amen.
Friendly Advice
My dear friends, many times we think that with our own strength we can win but, the truth is, we just can’t. Many times we say “I’ve tried everything and I don’t know why it doesn’t work?” Well, I want to tell you my friend who read this blog, you have not yet tried to raise your hands to heaven and claim what belongs to you. God empowers us when we recognize that he is the God who defends us and that he wins battles. Jesus reminds us that when we claim what belongs to us, we step on the head of the enemy. Jesus tells us “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the Lord will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.”