“They said to Joshua, ‘Surely the Lord has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before us.’”
(Joshua 2:24; NASB)
Have you ever felt like you’re being defeated at every turn? You’re not alone. There are many people who go through times when it appears everything goes wrong, no matter what they do. It’s times like these when confusion and discontent begin to take root. If left unchecked, these feelings can lead to things appearing overwhelming and even pointless. We have an enemy that would like nothing more than to get you to that point. It can keep you from trying new things and even keep you from enjoying the things you used to look forward to.
This is not how God wants us to live. In Joshua 2 we’re told that Joshua sent two spies to check out the enemy. It was forty years after Moses had sent twelve spies to check out the same territory—the Promised Land. When the twelve returned, only two (Joshua and Caleb) had a positive report. That was because they were the only ones that had faith that God would do what He promised. This time the two spies met up with a harlot named Rahab who told them the people were melting with fear because of what God had done for the Israelites. She said they had heard about how “the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt” (Joshua 2:10). That, along with a couple of other things, had them realizing the strength of Israel’s God.
The two spies returned to report this to Joshua which encouraged him for the battle to come. The result was that Israel defeated their enemy. The same enemy they could have defeated forty years earlier had they trusted God. The Lord had already arranged for Israel’s victory. They needed to trust that He had done that and step forward in faith. It’s no different for believers today.
You still have an enemy that wants you to think he is unbeatable. He will arrange things to look as if you don’t have a chance. But God has already arranged for your victory if you have the faith to confront the enemy. He provides the victory; you need to trust Him and move confidently into the battle. The amazing part is, when you finally step out in faith, the battle becomes much easier.
Jesus defeated the enemy on the cross. It is up to each one of us to embrace that truth and to faithfully “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Php. 3:14)
Have a great week and God bless.