---

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise Jesus told Joshua, “I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come” (Josh 5:14). I praise you today for your Son, Jesus Christ. He is called “Faithful and True,” and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems…and the name by which He is called is “The Word of God” (Rev 19:11–13). I worship Him and praise His name, for He is my great and mighty Savior! Hallelujah! Today in Your Word Today you told me about the conquest of Jericho, the sin of Achan and the destruction of Ai. Joshua was near Jericho, probably wondering how to besiege the city, when he looked up and there you were standing in front of him! How often have I been worrying about what to do when all the time your Son was right there, ready for battle? When Joshua realized who you were, he did what I should do when confronted by a Jericho—he worshiped you. You are more interested in my praise than in my battle plan, and I’m better off holding your hand than running around trying to figure things out on my own. When you told Joshua how to conquer Jericho, he must have felt a strange combination of relief and confusion. Relief to have your direction and confusion over a command that made no military sense at all! This teaches me that it’s more important to obey than it is to understand. Victory does not come from my strength or abilities. It comes from walking hand-in-hand with your Son! Joshua was convinced, but what about the people? To their credit, they obeyed your command and “by faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days” (Heb 11:30). Reflection Achan took some of the things under the ban, but you said, “Israel has sinned…they have both stolen and deceived” (Josh 7:1, 11). When I sin, I affect everyone around me—my family, my friends, my church, my co-workers and my country. “No man is an island, Entire of itself...” Request Father, impress on my heart the seriousness of sin. Achan’s entire family, along with 36 of Israel’s finest warriors, died because of his disobedience. Help me remember this the next time I’m tempted to sin. Thanksgiving Thank you for giving me your grace, which is the desire and power to do your will (Phil 2:13). I can be more than a conqueror through Christ! (Rom 8:37). In Jesus’ name, Amen. Suggested Hymn: “We Will Not Falter in the Battle” by Joel A. Erickson. Meditation Verse: Joshua 7:10.