April 12

The Walls Came Tumbling Down

Today’s Scripture Readings: Psalm 52:1-9 | Josh 5:1-7:15 | Luke 14:1-32 | Proverbs 13:1

The seventh time around, when the priests sounded the trumpet blast, Joshua commanded the army, “Shout! For the LORD has given you the city!  (Joshua 6:16 NIV).

This story always takes me back to my Sunday School roots. As a kid, I always liked this story—maybe because it was fun to act out: marching around city walls, trumpets and shouts, walls falling down. From my earliest days I’ve held on to principles I learned first from this story: the need to take steps of faith, the importance of obeying God implicitly, the hope of God’s intervention when the walls seem too big.

Joshua was a young leader, taking over for the only leader the people had ever known—Moses. They had arrived at the promised destination—now they had to conquer and inhabit the land. The mighty, fortified walls of Jericho were the first stop on the journey ahead.

How would they do it? They did it by listening to God and obeying his rather unusual instructions. They were called to trust and obey their way to victory.  A week of marching around the walls, then the trumpets and the shout bring the unconventional battle to an end. The walls crumble through God’s might—no military might needed.

Over the years I’ve encountered a lot of walls—obstacles in the path of life. Each time I wonder, “How is this going to turn out?” Each time I wonder what God will do to make this wall crumble. One thing I do know: a wall is not an obstacle to God.  They fall freely at his command.  For us, they are opportunities to press ahead in faith and obedience and in patient expectation for the intervention of God. 

Are you up against a wall? Keep an ear to the ground for the whisper of the Spirit. Then press ahead in faith and obedience and expectation. Perhaps this is the day that the walls will come tumbling down.

Faithful God, I am thankful that no wall is an obstacle to you, no matter how big. Help me to follow you completely trusting in your promises. When I become discouraged because the wall seems too big, remind me of how walls have crumbled down in the past. Guide me, direct me, give me the strength to keep marching and to keep trusting that you will act in keeping with your promise—that when the time is right, this big wall is gonna fall. Amen.