Due to disobedience and disregard of God’s laws, Americans today find ourselves in a very precarious position. We face corruption from within and oppression from without. The news of riots and cop killings, bombs, mass shootings, and being arrested for our beliefs sounds more like some third world country…not our beloved United States. God must be looking at us today the way he looked at Isreal while leading them out of Egypt. We have become a very stiff-necked people. Exactly what will it take to turn us around and make America strong again?
Joshua 1:7…Be strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses, my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left.”
After the death of Moses, Joshua was put in charge of leading the people into the promised land. Repeatedly, God told him to be strong and of a good courage. In Joshua 1:9, He says:…”be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: For the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
In all the battles that followed, God went before them into each city and made it known among the people that the Israelites were an army being led by a powerful God. Joshua sent two men to spy and check out the land of Jericho. There a harlot, Rahab, met them and hid the men on the roof of her house. She told them that the people there had heard about how the Lord had parted the Red Sea and led them there.
In verse 1:11 she told them: “As soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: For the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.”
Many of the other battles the people faced were handled the same way. The armies were made weak by only the knowledge of God’s strength. Their army of 5,000 was able to conquer ones of 12,000.
This same God that led His people then will lead us now in our fight to protect and restore our religious freedoms….and in all other battles. There is still power in the name of Jesus that will strike fear in the hearts of Isis and all the other terrorist groups. He will go before us and prepare the way if we are willing to stand up and exalt His name above all others.
The only thing Rahab asked for saving these men was their protection of her family and herself. She let them down from the roof on a crimson cord. They told her that when the attack started to have her family inside the house and bind this cord by the window and they would be saved. If any one went out the door they would be destroyed. Joshua honored this promise and she and her family were allowed to live in Israel from that day forward.
Hebrews 11:30-31 says: “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. 31: “By faith, the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.”
By faith…. which is not of ourselves, but a gift from God…. we are saved. That faith is being tested on every side today. How many of us will stand up and defend our religious freedoms? We must ask God to go before us and our enemies must know that America is strong….not because of the strength and size of our military, but because of our faith in an almighty God. Deut. 32:4 tells us: “He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and not iniquity, just and right is He.”
In whatever hard place we find ourselves, let us put our faith in the Rock (God) who is the only one able to save us.