DAY SEVEN – PERSEVERE

“You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews.10:36

The Israelites had been commanded by God to follow Joshua and march around the walls of the enemy city Jericho. The city of Jericho was a fortress, a stronghold that stood as a towering obstacle over God’s chosen people and their path to their inheritance and promised future. To march around it’s perimeter was a strange request. To do it seven times would have seemed like madness! But march seven times they did. And famously on the seventh time they raised a victory shout and the giant walls and all they represented came tumbling down! The question this morning is what if they had stopped just short of seven? What if on the sixth time round they shook their heads in frustration or embarrassment and walked away?

The same question faces us today. What has God called me to do that I may be feeling exhausted, weak or powerless to keep going on with? And why do I  so often feel like throwing in the towel and stopping short of seeing the promises of God fulfilled?

Below are three reasons from Joshua.6 why  we often stop short:

 

1.OUR PERSPECTIVE GETS BLOCKED
Joshua.6:1-5

The length between what God has promised and what we receive is perseverance. Only God can speak in past tense about the battles we haven’t even fought yet.

 

2.OUR PROGRESS ISN’T OBVIOUS

Joshua.6:6-14

God doesn’t want us to trust in our progress, He wants us to have faith in His promise. And just because the progress isn’t obvious doesn’t mean our faith isn’t working.

 

3.THE PROCESS IS OPEN-ENDED

Joshua.6:15-16/20

Do we trust that God is working even when what we’re doing doesn’t seem to be working?