Worship The Walls Down
We were made to worship. Consider the clapping of your hands and song in your heart that can produce sounds on your lips. As you worship, you will see God will do mighty works on your behalf.
“Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites...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...The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!...When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city...the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout the land.”
Joshua 6:1-5, 10, 16-18, 20, 23, 27
Fortified walls don't just fall down with the sound of a trumpet or circling of an army, but they do when you circle them in prayer after you hear the Creator's plans for victory. The story of the walls crumbling at Jericho has to go down as one of the greatest military victories without firing a bullet. The strategy sounds insane if you don't know the power of the Savior or if you don't see that all things are possible for those who believe. What do you need to circle in prayer? Where do you need to see God move a mountain or knock down fortified walls? Have you sought the Lord? Have you circled seven times and let out a song of worship?
Familiarity with a story can cause us to read through it quickly. Don't fall for the trap of familiarity this time through. This story changed the direction of the future for the people of God and God's divine guidance has the power to change our lives even today. Don't miss the key to the miracle. God spoke and the people obeyed. We don't hear about the people who doubted or did not understand how circling, prayer, trumpets, and a shout could bring down strongholds, but there were surely people who had those thoughts. The important thing is not whether you have doubts, but if you can be obedient in the midst of doubt because you trust the Author of the story. We are living in history, but we would enjoy the journey more if we realized it is His Story. God's plans and purposes will never fail. Our action step is to learn to listen and obey. To hear and do. Have you taken time to ask God what His plans are for this day, this month, this year? Are you willing to do whatever He calls you to do? God works wonders and breaks down walls with willing hearts.
“Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
Psalms 43:3-5
David had an uncanny ability to speak to himself. If you didn't know better you might think he has a split personality. What you really should see is someone who had a unique ability to seek and praise, worship and work, ask for help and hold onto hope through times of uncertainty.
Don't think for a second that the Israelites were anything but uncertain before the walls came down. They didn't know how things would work out. We read with a historical bias. They did not. They had to take a step. They had to live by faith. Surely they wrestled with reality like David did. David said his soul was downcast. This is not a song of praise from a flowery place, this is a heart's cry with felt needs. What are your needs today? How is your soul?
David does something most people do not do in the midst of a storm. Rather than looking down and listening to fear, David chooses to raise a hallelujah. He says his one desire, his one joy, his one delight is to be with God. Do you want to know how you can worship at any time and in any place? See the beauty and gift that is the presence of God. God's presence can give you peace and help you overcome any trial or tribulation. David chooses to worship rather than worry and it makes all the difference in how he can find delight in dwelling with God during dark days.
“Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life...Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might...There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength...Wisdom is better than weapons of war"
Ecclesiastes 9:7-10, 14-18
Solomon has been on a journey of discovering meaning in his life. He tried pleasures, he tried possessions, he tried pride, and the only thing that gave him meaning was when he found his kingdom purpose. It was when his heart aligned with the heart of the Father that he finally found what he was looking for and needed for his soul. Where do you find purpose? Use your strengths to meet the needs of others. This can be in serving God by helping friends, family, the community, your church, strangers, or anywhere God leads you.
Solomon says God has already approved you. You are anointed and clothed in white. There is something about walking in victory that we are all meant to hear today. The people walked in victory before they saw the walls fall down. We are meant to walk in victory, out of a place of wholeness as people are chosen and set free by Jesus Christ, even before we see what God will do with the gifts He has given us to use in our kingdom work. Are you walking in victory? One of the first things God whispers to you when you listen is that you are loved and whole.
In a perfect connection with the walls of Jericho passage, Solomon shares the story of a siege. This is exactly what the Israelites appeared to be doing as they surrounded the city. Solomon says that it is by wisdom that you will win your battles. What is wisdom? Proverbs says that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. He says that it is more important for you to change your perspectives than figure out how to overpower your problems. Isn't this true? Jesus constantly said change the way you think and see that God is with you. How could you look at anything that you are facing today through God's eyes? How could you create time to hear, not if, but how He will give you victory?
“The high places of wickedness will be destroyed it is the sin of Israel. Thorns and thistles will grow up and cover their altars...Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you."
Hosea 10:8, 12-15
God speaks the truth and the truth is pride attacks us all. God says the high places of wickedness will be destroyed. He is saying the ways in which you have twisted the truth and worshipped whatever you wanted instead of God are not going to last. God breaks down false idols and our greatest idol tends to be ourselves.
God says you have allowed thorns and thistles to cover your altars. How do you relate to that statement? God says to sow seeds of righteousness and you will reap love after you break up the unplowed ground. The order here matters. Jesus said the same thing. He said the worries and temptations of the world will harden your heart. The lies of the enemy and fears you face will uproot the word in your heart. Where could you break up some unplowed ground? Where have you seen any signs of thorns or thistles in your thinking?
“For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
1 Timothy 4:4-5, 7-8, 10, 13-16
Just like Solomon said, Paul says everything God created is good. You are good. You can walk in victory with a thankful heart for the freedom that Jesus bought with his blood. The question we should ask is not how do we receive salvation, but how can we grow in sanctification? How do we consecrate or set ourselves apart from the common ways of the world that are full of thorns and thistles? Paul says through the word of God and prayer. It sounds so simple but it requires a discipline approach to life. How much time do you spend in prayer? How much time do you spend reading the word? How much time do you spend sharing the word? It has been proven that you retain exponentially more information if you teach something rather than just read it.
Paul describes the life of a follower of Jesus as one marked by training in godliness. He uses the words labor and strive, devote and do not neglect, be diligent and give yourself wholly, and persevere through the pressures. Does this sound like sitting back in a chair on Sunday type of salvation? No! Paul wants you to get into the word and get the word into you. Paul wants you to see how to hear and do, to listen and obey, worship and work for God with all the best of your abilities. Solomon said whatever you do, do with all your might. Doing your best is within your control. Doing your best is a choice. You can control your attitude and your effort in how you approach all that you do.
Solomon does not say you have to have supernatural ability. Truth tells us that if you are obedient with the ordinary over time you will see God do the extraordinary. If you are mindful of being faithful in how you listen, follow, devote, and circle in prayer like the people did the walls of Jericho then there will come a day you let out a mighty shout and see the miraculous happen. Paul says that as you do all things and persevere through the hard times by obediently follow Jesus you will not only see miracles happen in your life but you will impact others around you. He says you will save yourself and others. Do you want more meaning and more of the miraculous in your life? Listen to God and do what He tells you to do. Mark Batterson says work like it depends on you and trust like it depends on God. That is our call today. When you don't know how walls can fall, choose to worship with your work. Choose to get into the word and hear His word as He speaks to your heart. Choose to humble yourself today, and tomorrow you will see great things.