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Start Marching

Jericho...
The city that stood in the way on their way to the promised land. After 40 years of wandering and with a whole new generation of adults, they were ready to move forward toward their promise... Then they hit the wall. Now what?

Joshua sought the Lord's help and the instructions he was given were far from ordinary.

When I am facing a difficult decision I pray about it, talk about it with trusted confidants and usually pray some more before making a decision. Yet I was intrigued by the realization that Joshua didn't spend days thinking about the instructions given, nor sought other counsel, nor did he pray about it some more. He was given very specific instructions and regardless of the looks he was given or the comments that might have been made under several breaths, he simply followed out those instructions immediately.

He didn't think about it.
He didn't make a pro/con list.
He just did it.
The Lord told him very clearly do this and he did it.

I can't help but wonder... What would have happened if he had waited? What would have happened if he thought, oh I'll pray about it again tomorrow.

Would the outcome have changed? Would we have the miraculous story of Jericho?

Sometimes God gives us a clear yes or no and we just don't want to receive it. Sometimes we know what we are supposed to do but we want to talk about it with someone else just in case.

Sometimes we miss out on what God had originally planned to do because we did not immediately start marching around our wall of Jericho.

Sometimes our lack of immediate obedience is just plain disobedience.
Next time I should just start marching.

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