May 29 – Solar Stand Still – Joshua 10:1-15
After Joshua’s victories over Ai and Jericho, Gibeon tricked Israel into making a treaty with them. God had told Joshua not to make any treaties, but Joshua made the treaty in a lapse of judgment. Now a coalition of five kings have united to come against Gibeon. Joshua is pulled into a war that he should not have had to participate, but now finds himself fighting due to this past treaty. God could have let Joshua suffer the consequences of his mistake, but instead fights for Joshua. At one point God kills more of the enemy with hailstones than the Israelites army killed with the sword. As the Israelite army surges forward, the threat of the darkness of night gives the enemy hope of regrouping for the following day. Joshua asks God to keep the sun still so they can have complete victory. God answers Joshua’s prayer.
Several observations about this story are noteworthy. 1) God helped Joshua out of the problem he created for himself. 2) Joshua stepped out on faith in public. 3) Joshua did not ask God to make his journey easy. 4) Joshua did everything he possibly could to get the job done. 5) God did something for Joshua that He did not do, or would not do, for anyone else. We can apply all of these observations to our life. We create problems in our life in which God would love to help if we only will ask. We should not be bashful of our faith as it is only as great we allow it to be. Too many Christians ask God for an easy journey instead of doing everything we possibly can, according to the Bible. God will do something for you that He has never done for anyone else, nor will He do it for anyone else.
