“Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its kings and its fighting men. March around the city once with all 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 all the people give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the people will go up, every man straight in.'” (Joshua 6:2-5)

As a born-again Christian, there have been many times in my life where God has asked me to do things that made little sense to me at the time.

One of those times is when He prompted me to take on a position as the Youth Worship Leader (music director) at my church, when A) I had zero experience leading worship, B) I had zero experience working with Youth kids, C) I couldn’t play a lead instrument well enough, D) I couldn’t sing as a lead vocal to save my life, E) I could barely read sheet music (F-A-C-E anyone?) let alone chord sheets, F) I had never led or directed a multi-instrument band before, and G) I was scared of that position beyond belief.

But similar to Joshua in this passage regarding the city of Jericho, through a series of confirmations, God told me in advance that He had already equipped me with what I did need and that He had already established this position for me, despite the fact that I had done nothing yet. He simply wanted me to obey and trust in Him, and not in my own strength or abilities.

There are many different thoughts and theories as to why the Lord asked Joshua and the Israelites to do all of those bizarre and specific steps in order to conquer the city. Regardless of the exact reason, it is evident that to claim the victory He had already given them, it required discernment, obedience, and faith.

The same holds true in whatever the Lord is calling you to take on. To hear His voice clearly and discern that it is Him, it takes being in His Word regularly, as He will never ask you to do something that goes against His Word or His character. It takes a heart that is set on doing His will, not for your own benefit or blessing, but for the glory of HIS Name. It takes an openness to be led by the Holy Spirit, even when it goes against the world’s sensibility or standards. It takes obedience and surrender to God, over your own feelings, fears, and fleshly desires. It takes humility to be confirmed and affirmed (or not) by brothers and sisters in Christ. And last but certainly not least, it takes a TON of prayer!

When you understand who the God is that we serve, then conquering a fortified military city or a challenging ministry position doesn’t look so daunting. My wife is doing that very thing right now as she is conquering a life-threatening disease and making it look like a cold; and it’s not because she’s invincible, but it’s because He and His purpose for her are!

Jesus defeated death itself, and that same resurrection power is what enables us to overcome the most challenging assignments and circumstances we will ever face in this world.

Dear Christian, you have victory in Christ! Live like it!

“Shout! For the Lord has given you the city!” (Joshua 6:16)