2:136 – When All Seems Lost, Keep Fighting The Good Fight

#faithbites #faithjourney fighting

Let’s face it: Life Is Hard. You pray and pray and pray, and it doesn’t seem that God is listening. You’ve been working so hard and fighting to accomplish your goal and then nothing materializes. You want to throw in the towel.

Maybe it’s trying to potty train your child. Perhaps it’s that promotion or project at work. Maybe it’s major changes in your church. It could be your frustrated with your spouse because they won’t listen. (And for those playing at home, I’ve fought  all of these battles).

Whatever it is, don’t give up. You are almost there. When Joshua was told to conquer the city of Jericho, God told him to March his whole army around the city once a day for six days, blowing trumpets. Then on the seventh day, he was told to circle seven times. I don’t know about you, but if my commander gave that order, I would think he’s loney tunes. On the seventh day, after the march, the walls fell.

How many times are you on the sixth day, exhausted, and done fighting? Had you know the seventh was right there, would you have? That’s the definition of faith. Keep following through to the seventh day.

Scripture

• Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.” – Joshua 6:2-5
• Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. – Romans 12:12
• Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. – Revelation 2:10

Reflection

The fall of Jericho is pretty brutal. The point is Joshua trusted the Lord, his men trusted him, and they did the work of the Lord. After the third or fourth day, I might have questioned his sanity.

Today, I feel like I’m in that sixth day. Major changes at church, projects at work that aren’t going as fast as I want, this dissertation that won’t end, and then kids being kids. My faith tells me that day seven is around the corner. My head tells me throw in the towel.

The verse in Revelation shows us to ha e perseverance. We will suffer, almost to the point of death, but the Lord will give us the crown of victory.

We just need to trust in our God as our seventh day is coming.

Charge

Are you on day six? Do you want to throw in the towel. Don’t give up. Pray on it. Ask the Lord for guidance. Do everything in your power and with the help of God to be honorable. He will lead you to victory.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for the power of faith. Be with all of us who are living in the sixth day. Let us know that hope is not lost. Help us through these dark and difficult times. Remind us that good things come to those who wait, or in this case believe. Be with our church tonight as we continue into new chapters. Give her strength to see your plan. In your name, Amen.