How to respond in difficult times…

 

“So Potiphar arrested Joseph and put him into prison. This prison was where the king’s

prisoners were put. And Joseph stayed there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph

and showed him kindness. The Lord caused the prison warden to like Joseph.”

Genesis 39:20, 21

 

Joseph was having a really tough time in Egypt. Firstly he was sold into slavery by his brothers,

then he was falsely accused by his master’s wife which put him into prison. It’s important to

note and understand that the hardships he was facing did not limit God’s power in his life.

God didn’t stop moving in Joseph’s life because he was in a bad place. In slavery God was working,

in prison, being falsely accused, God was at work in his life.

 

No matter how bad things are in your life God is still working. The difficult things around

you don’t limit Him one single bit. He is not looking at what’s happening around you to move.

He is looking at your faith. Will you still look to Him when things are difficult?

Will you allow what’s happening around you to determine how big you dream? Are you going to

wait for circumstances to get better before you move in faith or will you start trusting Him where

you are right now??

 

I am fully convinced God is moving in your life even when the world around you is falling apart.

Don’t let the bad things that are happening around you determine how must live.

Put your trust in God and move with Him.

 

Bless you, friends…

 

Rolain

 

Having a good attitude when things are bad…….

What is your attitude like in difficult times, when things, are going wrong for you, when nothing

seems to be working in your life? I have been thinking about this today and I think it’s

so critical what your attitude is like.

I am being tested in this at the moment. Things are really bad in my country at the

moment and it’s so hard to have a good attitude in the midst of what’s going on.

Just because it’s easy to have a bad attitude doesn’t make it right to have one. A bad attitude

doesn’t cultivate faith, hope, and peace. It cultivates the exact opposite.

 

Having a good attitude in the midst of hardships is critical.

Look at Paul for example. He went through a lot of difficult things. He had every reason to have

a bad attitude towards life but he didn’t. There is a difference between being discouraged and having

a bad attitude and I think Paul did have days when he was discouraged but I don’t think he had a bad

attitude in the trials he was facing. His focus was on God who was His strength and help.

 

“Are they serving Christ? I am serving Him more. (I am crazy to talk like this.) I have worked much 

harder than they. I have been in prison more often. I have been hurt more in beatings. I have been 

near death many times. Five times the Jews have given me their punishment of 39 lashes with a whip.

Three different times I was beaten with rods. One time they tried to kill me with stones. Three times

I was in ships that were wrecked, and one of those times i spent the night and the next day in the sea. 

I have gone on many travels. And I have been in danger from rivers, from thieves, from my own people, 

the Jews, and from those who are not Jews. I have been in danger in cities, in places no one lives, and on 

the sea. And I have been in danger with false brothers. I have done hard and tiring work, and many times

I did not sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty. Many times I have been without food. I have been cold and 

without clothes. Besides all this, there is on me every day the load of my concern for all the churches.” 

2 Corinthians 11:23-29

 

He also said,

 

“We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We do not know what to do, but we do not

give up. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed.” 

2 Corinthians 4:8, 9

 

“Always be happy. Never stop praying. Give thanks whatever happens. This is what God wants for you

in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16

 

Bad attitudes have a way of twisting how we see life. It blinds us from seeing God’s hand in our

life and gets us focusing on the negative. Instead of being joyful and being a light, a bad attitude sucks

the life out of us and makes us sharp and painful towards others. Instead of speaking words of

healing we cut down and kill with our words.

Ask for the Lord’s help when you have a bad attitude because it has to go. (I am speaking to myself

too)

A person with a good attitude sees the total opposite. Even when the storm is raging the person with

a good attitude sees God always! He or she will always be optimistic when everyone else is being pessimistic.

It’s hard to move in faith when you have a bad attitude.

Remember the solider in the story of the four lepers in the old testament? (2 Kings 7:3)

He failed to believe the word from Elisha in a time of famine. That is an apt picture of how destructive a

bad attitude is.

 

And with all that I will conclude. Have a good attitude in life. You won’t get far in life with a bad attitude.

This is my challenge to you.

Blessing to you all.

 

Rolain

 

 

 

Why we need to endure in a broken world…..

This is crazy. There is so much bad happening in the world

at the moment. It’s enough to make you go crazy.

And it’s not just in one place, no. It’s everywhere. War, famine,

natural disasters, economic meltdown, and so on. You don’t

have to go far to know all the bad that’s happening in the world.

At times, the bad gets really overwhelming. It all feels so hopeless.

What is the answer in such perilous times and make no mistake

about it, we are in very perilous times. If you are not careful

your faith can get snuffed out by the bad that is happening around

you. I deliberately moderate the amount of news I ingest.

It’s guaranteed that if I spend a significant time watching the

news or reading it I will be left in a state of fear.

In times like these the prospect of heaven seems really

appealing.

 

“God will wipe away every tear from thier eyes; and death

shall be no more, neither shall there be anguish (sorrow and

mourning) nor grief nor pain any more, for the old conditions

and the former order of things have passed away. “

Revelation 21:4

 

I don’t know about you but I want that.

 

Things on earth can

be so diffcult so what is the answer?

Does God enjoy seeing us suffer?

Does He want us to have a hard life?

Does He have a plan in the midst of such tragedy?

 

I have to say, being born in Zimbabwe makes it a bit

easier to deal with what’s going on in the world. Our country

has gone through some incredible challenges which I have

talked about countless times. We have had to trust God

with everything we have got. The pressure we have

experienced has forged iron in us. The people who have

stayed and endured have come out stronger in faith.

 

God has a plan for keeping us in this broken world. In fact

I want you to see how imperative it is you endure all the

pain and hardships on this earth. Yes, we are just passing

through and yes we are not citizens of earth but we need

earth more than we think. Look at what James 1:2-4 says,

 

“Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are

enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into

various temptations.

But let endurance and steadastness and patience have full play

and do a thourough work, so that you may be [people]

perfectly  and fully developed [ with no defects], lacking in

nothing. “

 

 

Let me be clear, without the trials, and pain we encounter

on a daily basis we would not be fully developed. That’s what the

word is telling us. There would be no endurance, patience and

steadfastness built into us. We would be incomplete without hard

times and storms.

 

(let that sink it for a bit)

 

We need heaven but at this moment we need to endure on

earth for a bit longer! You may be fed up with the craziness

that is happening all around you but hold on, don’t give up!

God has a plan and He is in control.

 

So when something crazy happens to you or you hear of

bad things happening in the world don’t fret or panic. Like

James said, we need to count it all joy when those things come.

Instead of destroying us those things make us grow into the

people God created us to be.

Don’t run away from trials and storms.

Look to the Lord.

In a world so broken God wants us to step up, not back down.

 

Let me say it again, without pain, without trials, without storms,

without hard times we will not be complete. We need not pray

for those times but when they come our way our trust should

be found in the Lord…..

He is a good God who is directing our every step through the

most intense darkness the world has ever seen.

Will you shrink in fear when you hear or read of all the craziness

happening in the world or will you allow God to build patience,

endurance and steadfastness in you??

That is the question….

 

Bless you!

 

Rolain

 

 

 

A world without trouble….??!!!

²³ Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have

worked much harder,been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and

been exposed to death again and again.

²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.

²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was

shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,

²⁶ I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from

bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city,

in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.

²⁷ I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger

and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.

²⁸ Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 

1 Corinthians 11:23-28

 

I think you will agree with me, Paul went through an a lot of hard times. As I read this

scripture I began to think:

Did Paul ever think God had abandoned or hate him?

He was shipwrecked, beaten, stoned, whipped, hungry, naked and a lot more.

I think it would be easy to get discouraged and think God was punishing him.

But that is not the case here. Paul is not complaining when he writes this.

He is giving glory to God, He is praising God!

We know without a doubt that God was with Paul through every step of the way.

God was with Paul when he was in prison

God was with Paul when he was whipped

God was with Paul when he was at the point of death,

when death was knocking at the door God was by his side!

 

God never left Paul, not once! He was by his side through it all….

 

God was with Paul when he spent a whole night at sea adrift on

a board!

When he was in danger from bandits and his own people, God

was with him!

In toil and hardships God was with him!

When he had nothing to eat or drink, when he was naked, God

was with him.

 

The trials Paul went through drew him closer to God.

The trials he went though strengthened his faith in God.

 

What troubles are you going through?

I want you to know, as you go

through the storm God is with you. He knows exactly what you are

going through. He will not abandon you!!

Praise God in the storms you are going through right now.

He wants to reveal His greatness to you.

He cares about you and will never leave you alone!

 

Rely on Him, call on Him in those times.

As God was with Paul, He is with you!

 

Rolain

 

The truth behind God’s plan for you.

God has a plan for you! That is a fact…… It’s beyond anything you

could ever comprehend.
However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. (‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭9-10‬ NIV)
Today, I would like to challenge you to pursue the plans God has for

you.

Don’t believe the lie that you are just a statistic! You are more than

a number! You are important!

But this is the thing, His plans for you are not like anything you have

ever known!

Let me show you what I mean:

Mary.
Now in the sixth month [after that], the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, To a girl never having been married and a virgin engaged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, Hail, O favored one [endued with grace]! The Lord is with you! Blessed (favored of God) are you before all other women!

And listen! You will become pregnant and will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus.

And Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have no [intimacy with any man as a] husband? (‭Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭26-28, 31, 34‬ AMP)
Gideon
And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of [fearless] courage.

The Lord turned to him and said, Go in this your might, and you shall save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you? Gideon said to Him, Oh Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Behold, my clan is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. (‭Judges‬ ‭6‬:‭12, 14-15‬ AMP)
Jeremiah
Then the word of the Lord came to me [Jeremiah], saying, Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. [Exod. 33:12; Isa. 49:1, 5; Rom. 8:29.] Then said I, Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am only a youth. [Exod. 4:10; 6:12, 30; I Kings 3:7.] But the Lord said to me, Say not, I am only a youth; for you shall go to all to whom I shall send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. (‭Jeremiah‬ ‭1‬:‭4-7‬ AMP)

 

Moses
And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters and oppressors; for I know their sorrows and sufferings and trials. And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand and power of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a land good and large, a land flowing with milk and honey [a land of plenty]–to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth My people, the Israelites, out of Egypt. And Moses said to God, Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt? (‭Exodus‬ ‭3‬:‭7-8, 10-11‬ AMP)
It seems to me like God always called people to something much

bigger than themselves! His plan for their lives always required them

to stretch their faith because it could not be accomplished in their own

strength! God’s plan for them always seemed impossible!

One thing is clear, we need God! We will need

to put our entire hope in Him if we are going to have any sort of

chance.

Believe Him for the impossible! Believe Him to do what only He can

do.

He wants us to believe in Him. But more than that He wants to show

Himself strong in our lives. He wants us to know as we trust Him,

He will come through for us……

By faith begin to declare what He reveals to you.

It may seem like the odds are against you but speak up, believe God!

It may seem like the finances and resources are not available but

believe!

The roads to your destiny may appear closed but believe God!

You may look at what is in your hand and think, “I don’t have what

it takes” just believe God!!

When it comes to purpose it’s not about how much you know, how

intelligent you are, where you were born, how strong you are, who you

know, how rich you are and so on!

It’s about your faith!!

Do you have faith in God??

Do you believe He can do the impossible in your life?

That’s what matters…..

He responds to your faith,

not fear or doubt.

He will respond to someone who will trust Him with all

that is in him. He will respond to someone who will not be moved

by what is happening around him.
The enemy is always trying to keep you from seeing the truth.

He wants you to see the negative. He wants you discouraged.

He wants you to lose hope. He doesn’t want you to know God

has a plan for you!

He hates God’s plan for you.

No matter what you go through, hardships you encounter, don’t

ever forget that God has a plan for you. Just because you are

having a bad day and nothing seems to be happening doesn’t

mean you don’t have a purpose.

Pursue the dream God has given you!

Rolain

Remember God today!

And when, in time to come, your son asks you, what does this

mean?

You shall say to him, by strength of hand the Lord brought us out

from Egypt, from the house of bondage and bondmen.

Exodus 13:14

 

And it shall be as a reminder upon your hand or as frontlets

between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought

us out of Egypt.

Exodus 13:16

 

Out of all the miracles God performed this is the most talked about.

God has constantly reminded His people to remember what He did

at the Red Sea.

God delivered His people in a mighty way!

His people were called to remember what He did and He told them

to tell their kids. It is clear God didn’t want His people to forget.

The Red Sea moment was a reference point for the Israelite’s!

When they lost hope they would remember what God did for their

ancestors at the Red Sea, and in Egypt! We too are His people and

He is calling us to not forget!

How important is it to remember?

To answer that I would like to share something a friend shared

with me a few days ago,

 

“God is the God of the impossible.

Reasoning your way out of an impossible situation

is not as effective as reminding your way out of it! – Unknown

 

That stopped me cold in my tracks. How many times I have

tried to reason myself out of a situation. The more effective

way is to remember our way out of it!

That brings me so much peace right now because as I began

to think on it some more I realized God wants us to remember

the great things He has done for us. I believe

we all have our “Red Sea moments” that we can look back to for

strength! Don’t forget those times the Lord came through for

you! Those are the things He wants you to remember. He

performed those miracles so you could remember them when

your faith was been attacked!

As I think back on my life I see the small and the big things

God did for me and I know those are the “Red Sea moments”

God wants me to always remember!

When I am in doubt, when my faith is weak that is when I

need to remember!

 

Fight to remember! Write down what God did for you. Tell

people what God did for you!

When the storms come remember what you wrote. God’s

miracles in your life are not just for you but for your kids.

They are to be a testimony for generations to come!

How great it would be if your great great great kids could

talk about how God came through for you! How amazing it

would be if they used God’s miracles in your life as a reference

point for their own lives!

 

Last year is long gone but we are still here because God is with us!

He kept us with care! His hand is on us and we must make sure

we don’t forget!

Fight to remember the miracles, fight to remember the goodness

of God in your life. He is so good!

Rolain

God’s plan for you in the fire….!!!

Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel should be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no hurt of any kind was found on him because he believed in (relied on, adhered to, and trusted in) his God. Daniel 6:23

In this season this scripture has ministered to me deeply. What do we do when we find ourselves in the fire and the lion’s den? Because the truth of the matter is, everyone will face the fire everyone will face the lion’s den! No one is exempt! And this proves true for the Christian. Just because you follow Christ does not exempt you from the fire or the lion’s den!

 

I had my accident but I just found out one of my friends is in hospital because a car bumped into his car!

Another friend of mine has got cancer!

Another friend is unsure about what the future has in store for them and so on and so on…

 

Pain, heartache, death, disappointment, rejection, and a host of other things are some of the things we have to deal with in this life. But what do we do when we are in the fire, what do we do when we are in the lion’s den??

 

When I read the story of Daniel in the lion’s den there were a few things that stood out:

Daniel had a relationship with the King who at the time was the most powerful man in the world but even he couldn’t help him! He could not reverse the law he had put in place.

“You should stop trusting in people to save you, because people are only human; they aren’t able to help you.”  Isaiah 2:22 NCV

From the story we see the king had tried everything to help Daniel! But with all his power and authority he was not able to deliver him! I am not saying don’t look to people for help. When the fire comes we need the support of people. I could not have got through the trauma I faced without the encouragement and support of people (To read about the accident I was in click here) the issue comes when you rely on people to save you instead of God! He is the only one who can deliver you from the fire and the lion’s den! Man can only do so much but if you think they are the answer then you have missed it.

The king who was the most powerful man in the world at the time was powerless to save Daniel but God wasn’t! God wants you to know He is the only One who can save you from the fire! He is the only One who can deliver you from the lion’s den. No one else is qualified to take God place so don’t put that kind of expectation on people!

“So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no hurt of any kind was found on him because he believed in (relied on, adhered to, and trusted in) his God.”

Daniel was not hurt in anyway because he trusted in God! Your trust in God will deliver you from the lion’s den and the fire. That is the ONLY thing that will deliver you!

It doesn’t say his trust in man delivered him from the lion’s den but his trust in God! I want you to get this. When you are in the fire you need to look to God. When you are in the lion’s den cry out to God! He will deliver you. Let us learn from Daniel. I have seen this truth in action! It’s God that has kept me from falling. As I looked to Him, He has put His hand on me. I am at peace because I have decided to trust Him completely.

When I fear I feel His love,

When I open my bible I see him so clearly,

When I spend time with Him, I feel His tangible presence,

When I worship, I feel His hand on me,

I hear His voice in the music I listen to (worship music mostly) and the people who encourage and support me!

That’s what happened to me when I trusted Him in the fire, in the lion’s den!

“My God has sent His angel and has shut the lion’s mouth so that they have not hurt me,” Daniel 6:22

God was with Daniel in the lion’s den and like Daniel He is with you! His angels are with you. You are not alone in the fire and in the lion’s den!  So praise Him, draw close to Him!

Rolain

 

 

 

Why finding your purpose is not easy……

I thought I had a pretty good idea of God’s plan for my life but I was wrong. What I knew was close to nothing. Finding out God’s plan for your life is not as easy as I thought. Knowing God’s will for your life is not a formula. Do this, do that, don’t do that, stay away from that and so on and so on….

God has a unique pattern for each individual. What works for me will not work for you. We are just too different. We can learn though from people that have gone before us. There is always something that we can learn but we are never meant to replicate exactly what they did. We are just so different.

 

For the past two weeks I have been asking God to show me what my destiny is! Like I said in the beginning I thought I knew my purpose but I was wrong. Talking to other people I realized I was not alone in this. I have met very few (very few) people who know their calling. They have an idea yes, but to say they know exactly what God has for them, no……At times it has been confusing and at times it’s been hard to understand. At times I have just been totally clueless! I was saying to a friend that I know God has a plan for me without a doubt. It is an amazing plan. The problem is I don’t know what it is exactly and I don’t know how I will get there. Someone else also told me that God always shows us just a part of our calling. He never shows us everything at once. We wouldn’t be able to take it all in.

Within all this uncertainty and confusion on my part I read a scripture that cleared up a lot of things. Let me read it to you:

 

A man’s goings are of Jehovah; 

How then can a man understand his ways? 

Proverbs 20:24

 

As I meditated on this scripture things began to make sense. The reason I am constantly struggling to come to grips with my purpose and the reason there is such a constant battle trying to understand my purpose and the reason I am clueless at times and uncertain is because I am not the one in control!!!! I am not the one calling the shots. The Person calling the shots is not human, He is not even from this planet, and in fact He created the universe!!! This is what He says about Himself:

 

For my thoughts are not my thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares The Lord.

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

Isaiah 55:8-9

 

What am I trying to get at? If I was left in control of my own life I would orchestrate things in a way that would be comfortable. I would make sure things were easy. Life would be a walk in the park for me. The best example I can use is that of a little child. Can you imagine if he or she had to direct their own lives at that age? They would only think about how to have fun all the time. They would think about sweets and ice cream and cake and more fun……kids are not capable of leading their own lives. I am not saying I am a child and I am not saying I can’t handle responsibilities given to me. What I am trying to say is, my life would be a disaster if I was left to run my own life and direct my own life. As a human I am not capable of seeing everything, I am not perfect. My life would be a monumental flop. Am I glad God is the one directing my steps and not the other way round…..!

 

So after much meditation and consideration I have come to a conclusion. Life is hard to understand at times and figure out not because of the One who is directing us. He is God and He cannot be comprehended. He is just too big to be put in a box. Who can say they have figured out God????

The only assurance we have, the only thing we can be certain of is His love for us. Everything He does for us stems from love. But even with that said, we still don’t know how much He loves us. The important thing is, He loves us. He guides and directs us because He loves us. He wants us to have His best. He wants us to succeed. He wants us to grow. This is the only thing we can be sure of.

How do we begin to understand someone whose ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours? The answer is we don’t.

 

What does this mean then? If you are confused or if you have questions or if you are clueless about your purpose then that just confirms you are human. The One who is directing your path sees so much farther than you. The One who guides you is God…..don’t fret or panic just trust. He has your best interest at heart. His motive for everything He does in your life is love and blessing and growth. He never does anything because He wants to hurt you. He is God……

 

Rolain

What happened when God said, Yes!!!

“They set out and went to Bethel to inquire of God. The people of Israel said, “Who of us shall be first to

 go into battle with the Benjaminites? God said Judah goes first.” 

The people of Israel marched out against Benjamin and took up their positions, ready to attack Gibeah.

But the Benjaminites poured out of Gibeah and devasted twenty-two Israelite divisions on the ground. 

The Israelites went back to the sanctuary and wept before God until evening. They again inquired of God,

 Shall we again go into battle against the Benjaminites, our brothers? 

God said, Yes, Attack. 

 

And they again inquired of God. The Chest of God’s Covenant was there at the time with Phineas son

 of Eleazer, the son of Araron, as the ministering priest. They asked, 

Shall we again march into battle against the Benjaminites, our brothers? 

Or shall we call it quits? 

And God said, Attack. Tomorrow I’ll give you the victory. 

Judges 20: 18-28

 

This is a very interesting story. It is interesting because,

The Israelites were told to attack the Benjaminites and only after the third attempt were they successful!

THEY SOUGHT THE LORD for direction and it was The Lord who

told them to attack!!!! God told them to attack and they got defeated twice…… A lot of people were killed

during the first two attempts! Was there confusion, yes! But God told us to attack, must have been the thought

on people’s minds. Did we make a mistake hearing God’s voice, must have been another thought. But this is the

point, God had told them to attack!

 

I didn’t get it at first. How could that be? How could God tell them to do something only to fail? I asked

God to show me the lesson He wanted me to learn from this story. The lesson is this,

There may be things you are trusting God for. You may have even heard Him say yes, but that doesn’t

mean instant success. There will be times where you will doubt what God told you to do. But there is a reason.

God wants you to trust Him.

Just because God said “yes” doesn’t mean no problems and trials, and challenges, and questions. Keep on fighting,

Keep pressing on towards what God told you to do. You may be in a place where nothing seems to be working.

Maybe God wants you to keep at it. Don’t lose hope. He has not abandoned you.

You may have lost a lot as you followed what God told you to do and you are now regretting stepping out.

Your story is not over. There is a reason you are going through what you are going through.

He can be trusted…..

Rolain

 

 

How to Overcome “Jericho”!

We all have insurmountable challenges in our lives. We face situations that threaten to drown us or take us out for good but what do we do in those threatening or seemingly hopeless situations?! The answer is found in the book of Joshua. A friend of mine shared this revelation with me years ago but as I read the story of Joshua this past week I was reminded of what it meant.
The Israelite s had just crossed the Jordon and were in the promise land about to carry out what God had called them to do but understand they had never seen walled cities before. They had never seen giants before and the first place they had to defeat had all of that!!!
Were they afraid, I think so. Did they have doubts, I think so. But look at what the word says in Joshua 5:13-15;

And then this, while Joshua was there near Jericho: He looked up and saw right in front of him a man standing, holding his drawn sword.
Joshua stepped up to him and said, “Whose side are you on – ours or our enemies?”
He said, Neither. I’m commander of God’s army. I’ve just arrived.” Joshua fell to the ground, and worshiped. He asked,
“What orders does my Master have for his servant?”
God’s army commander ordered Joshua, “Take your sandals off your feet. The place you are standing is holy.” Joshua did it.

Joshua approached Jericho but instead of looking at Jericho and its walls he looked up!!! He knew there was Someone bigger than “Jericho”! When he looked up, he saw God, he saw his deliverance! That’s what happens when you look up instead of your problem, your “Jericho”.
When you focus on your problem you become like the 10 spies who saw defeat. They saw no answer to their problem. All they saw were giants and walls and grasshoppers!!!!
By looking at Jericho they lost sight of how big God really was…
When we focus on the “Jericho” in our lives we lose sight of God and how big God really is. Instead you begin to focus on the details. I never finished school so I am not smart enough, I didn’t get brought up in a rich family, I never went to university, I am not tall enough, I am the wrong color, I am not rich enough, I am fat and so on and so on!
When you come to your “Jericho” learn to look up. Your deliverance comes from looking up at God who is bigger than anything we will ever face!!!
Watch and see how small your problems are against a big God!!!

So as I conclude this post I would really like you to think about where you are focused when you approach the “Jericho’s” in your life. It’s ok to see the facts and even admit there is a problem but don’t stop there. Yes, Jericho is a walled city and it has giants but God is our Deliverer, He is our Rock and Strong Tower!
He is our only Hope in the face of insurmountable challenges!

Rolain