Joshua 10:12-14
Joshua Sought More from the Lord‘ portrays how he was not content with the average or good. He wanted the best, and, through exerting, his faith in prayer received it. Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalms 37:4). The Lord is simply showing us that when we treasure what He treasures, there is no limit to what can be done. God can open up doors that cannot be closed. We must be careful to desire what God wants and trust Him to accomplish it.
The scriptures are baiting us, hoping that one of us would stand up and make a fundamental difference in this world, if not all of us. God has work to do. He wants us to join Him in it. Joshua was already in obedience when the critical event happened in verse 12. Great experiences with God do not come in disobedience, but compliance with Him.
The three key aspects that led to this pursuit of God’s best in Joshua’s life are: 1) Burdened with God’s vision, 2) Willing to display his faith, and 3) Carrying out God’s work in His strength.
Why is vision important?
Hab. 2:2
Acts 16:9-10
Joshua wanted what was on God’s heart, an excellent removal of sin from the land and full judgment upon the enemy. And so, as Joshua saw that a complete success depended on the length of the day. He cried out the famous words in front of all of Israel.
We, like many good churches, try to get God’s work done. We make sacrifices. We, so to speak, ‘get our hands dirty.’
But Joshua leaves us a unique challenge. We need to get to know God so that we dream His dreams and, in faith, steps out to seize those miraculous victories on earth. Many a man looks and thinks. They do not know what God has in mind. They do not know how much God desires to be ultimately victorious. May we be that people who are ready to obey, think, and pray great things about what God wants done and commit ourselves to do it
What is the signature of faith?
Heb. 11:2, 24-26
Mark 16:19-20
Rom. 8:35-39
There is always the time when faith requires you to make a bold choice. For Joshua, his great cry for more of God’s work so powerfully worked on his being that he cried out to God to get it down. Joshua cried out to God, “in the sight of Israel.” Joshua asked for the impossible.
What did Joshua ask?
“O sun, stand still at Gibeon, and O moon in the valley of Aijalon.” He wanted a light. Desire is not enough. We can know and desire God’s will, but we need to cry out. Crying out is the ‘knocking.’ It is the desperate dependent cry to God to accomplish what man cannot do. Heb. 11:1,2,6, Great men, and women of God are known for their faith.
Faith is the cutting edge between a mediocre and victorious life. Faith helps us live out our inner convictions despite the obstacles facing us. Faith is the desire to please God rather than man. Faith breaks the routine, the typical, the ‘What we can do?’ and goes for the finish line. Faith is living by the inner conviction from God, not what people might think of you.
Joshua was a man of faith out on the rock in front of everyone, said the ridiculous thing that could be said. But God did what he asked. We might think of a specific philosophy, craze, or violent spirit among people and try to hide in the corner and hope it does not come near. It is precisely the opposite of what God said. He said we are the light and are to take the bushel basket off our heads!
The third aspect of Joshua in this incredible event was God’s strength. They did not just watch the sun in the sky. There was a reason for the miracle. The Almighty God made temporary adjustments to the world because one man dared cry out to God to achieve God’s full purposes. The scripture is clear, “And there was no day like that before it or after it when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.” (Joshua 10:14). Praise God. Once we have cried out to God, we need to exert our faith by carrying out God’s work. The work did not stop with one or two cities. They took out the towns that mustered their energies against them.
If you think this destruction is terrible, just wait. A far greater judgment is coming across the earth, either now, or hereafter with God’s fury unleashed. You can almost sense this wave of wrath coming from the pages of the Book of Revelation. We are to warn people ahead of time so that they flee from God’s anger.
God uses His people to bring salvation to Gibeon. The church is to make disciples. By making disciples, we take the truth of God and liberate people from the bondage to their sins. God’s truth is so powerful. We need to carry out His will carefully and quickly.
Please read the following scriptures and tell us what you think.
Psalm 9:27
2 Cor. 5:11
Conclusion
Our poverty is not in that we cannot do great things for the Lord but do not want to do them. We are content with the mediocre. We dream little of God’s ways and therefore seek not His ways.
May God begin to give us great dreams of a worldwide revival.
May God grace us to have more of His work done in our lives. May we have more of Joshua’s fearless spirit and faith in our lives that we could have someone say, “And there was no day like that before it or after it when the LORD listened to the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel. (Joshua 10:14).
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