"Then spoke Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and He said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon." And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.” Joshua 10:12-14
The book of Joshua can be viewed as a modern-day metaphor for the types of trials we encounter where Christians need to prepare for personal battles. This is primarily true because, many of its stories and battles take place in the desert. Within its pages, readers are taught how to fight in a desert experience while maintaining deep faith. The thing is, a desert experience takes more than preparation, and it takes more than bodily strength; it is the type of experience that requires total dependence on God. Why? Because, in the desert, we can never predict or prepare enough water (faith), to quench the deep thirst (spiritual dependence), caused by the burning sun (conflict); we simply just never know how hot it is going to be or how our body will react to the pelting heat of the sun.
The three verses found above are the fulfillment of a promise God made to Joshua, while in the midst of fighting, yet another desert battle. In this passage, Joshua asks God to hold back the sun from going down and the moon from rising, so his army could annihilate Gibeon’s enemies without violating the Sabbath.
While I read the surrounding paragraphs, all I could think about was this. If God could hold back the sun and the moon from a full orbit for one whole day, what problem could I possibly have that He cannot solve? When we look more closely, we have to believe, it is our lack of faith that inhibits the release of His solutions to our problems. Weare the ones who inhibit God's solutions! If we exhibit extraordinary faith—faith beyond that which we normally consider natural; then, metaphorically speaking, the sun and the moon can be held back from their orbit.
Like all tribulations in our lives, our Faith will be tested to the extreme; since, it is only in the extreme tests that we are able to exhibit the kind of extraordinary Faith, which enables God to literally stop the sun and the moon from moving. L.
Study Reference: Joshua 10:6-14
From: "The Day The Sun Stood Still." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: unknown
"Then spoke Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and He said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon." And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.” Joshua 10:12-14
The book of Joshua can be viewed as a modern-day metaphor for the types of trials we encounter where Christians need to prepare for personal battles. This is primarily true because, many of its stories and battles take place in the desert. Within its pages, readers are taught how to fight in a desert experience while maintaining deep faith. The thing is, a desert experience takes more than preparation, and it takes more than bodily strength; it is the type of experience that requires total dependence on God. Why? Because, in the desert, we can never predict or prepare enough water (faith), to quench the deep thirst (spiritual dependence), caused by the burning sun (conflict); we simply just never know how hot it is going to be or how our body will react to the pelting heat of the sun.
The three verses found above are the fulfillment of a promise God made to Joshua, while in the midst of fighting, yet another desert battle. In this passage, Joshua asks God to hold back the sun from going down and the moon from rising, so his army could annihilate Gibeon’s enemies without violating the Sabbath.
While I read the surrounding paragraphs, all I could think about was this. If God could hold back the sun and the moon from a full orbit for one whole day, what problem could I possibly have that He cannot solve? When we look more closely, we have to believe, it is our lack of faith that inhibits the release of His solutions to our problems. Weare the ones who inhibit God's solutions! If we exhibit extraordinary faith—faith beyond that which we normally consider natural; then, metaphorically speaking, the sun and the moon can be held back from their orbit.
Like all tribulations in our lives, our Faith will be tested to the extreme; since, it is only in the extreme tests that we are able to exhibit the kind of extraordinary Faith, which enables God to literally stop the sun and the moon from moving. L.
Study Reference: Joshua 10:6-14
From: "The Day The Sun Stood Still." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions for Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: unknown
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