Keep Climbing!

10. December 2007 by BruceSmith.

Joshua chapter 10 recounts an epic battle led by Joshua amidst some pretty ominous odds. The charge to the army of Israel was to climb uphill about 3,000 feet to engage an army that could see them coming, out-manned them, and were well-rested compared to the men Joshua was leading. The forces these men would face, as they knew, were Israel’s toughest opponents. The fact that they were also fighting them on their own turf, the hill country, could not have instilled great confidence in these Israeli soldiers. Ultimately, these warriors, clearly the underdogs, knew that aside from divine intervention they were soon to be done in.

Sound familiar? I have, and no doubt many of you have, felt a little bit (or a lot a bit!) like these underdogs in Joshua chapter 10. Life, for each of us, at one point or another, can certainly feel like an uphill battle against staggering odds. If you have ever been on a hiking expedition on a real mountain you may know what this experience is like. No one actually climbs straight uphill for 3,000 feet. The only way to scale that kind of footage is to zig zag one’s way up the mountain (about 20 miles total in this case). Even with that strategy in place, however, it is no easy climb. In the case of these men led by Joshua, the challenge was made greater in that the battle gear they had to carry or wear had to have been extremely heavy.

Here is the question for the day; How do we proceed with the fight when life feels like we are only halfway up the climb and we are already very fatigued? Also, what is our motivation for continuing on when it appears that we are doomed, destined to die halfway up a mountain, on the turf of the enemy, and all odds are set against our making a real fight of it? Is there a hope, a reason, a purpose for venturing on? Do we have help? Where does our hope come from?

As you read the account in Joshua chapter 10 a number of truths ring out amidst the perilous conditions these men found themselves in. First and foremost, we see a people who absolutely have no chance aside from a certain and tangible intervention from God. In situations where our human ingenuity, power, and strength will not carry the day we have one need and one hope–God’s movement on our behalf. At one point or another we all come to this place. The millionaire who has life by the horns can have his entire world turned upside down when diagnosed with a potentially terminal illness. The husband or wife who learns of their spouse’s infidelity can, in an instant, see life totally come unglued. The mother or father who loses a child to accident or illness finds life completely senseless. The child, abused in some way by an adult early in life, proceeds with life only to find, decades later, the wrenching pain of that abuse still dictating the course of their life and daily interactions. The man, woman or family that has attained “the dream” can, in a short time, see the dream vanish amidst the catastrophe of financial disaster. The scenarios change, the reality is the same–we need help.

These realities being so, the overarching message which resounds from Joshua 10 is this, God still moves on our behalf! If you read the account in full, you find that these men of valor, though out-manned, out-numbered, and out of the fight before it started, win the day. As it turns out, in the moment of greatest need, God makes His move and everything changes. They still had to climb, they still had to fight, and they still had to march uphill, yet, they did so knowing that every step would be sustained and emboldened by the God who was leading them.

The message which comes from the text is one that we desperately need along the journey of life which often feels like a long uphill climb. Our hope and our future is secured in the promises of God extended to us. Just as Abraham was promised by God that his descendants would outnumber the sand, likewise, Joshua was promised that God would go before him in battle if he would but trust God to make the way. Our hope and our future are not totally dependent upon us, but upon the nature of a loving and winning God. God WILL do great things on our behalf. He can and will move mountains, and He can and will move upon the mountain for our rescue. We must recognize, however, that the hike must go on. As we move forward, in the knowledge of God’s strength directed toward us, we demonstrate faith in His ability to wage and win the war. The battles do not stop, but our courage in enlarged as we place that courage in the work of God for us.

Recognizing reality and its challenges in our situation does not negate who God is and what He is able to do. We must see things as they are if we are to know our need for Him. Looking uphill into the eyes and weaponry of an ominous force we do not say, “You are not there…I do not see you.” Rather, recognizing the reality of the situation we, see the obstacles and then turn our gaze upon God and simply say, “Help!” As the account in Joshua 10 unfolds we find a God who does just that, and in amazing way. As you may or may not know, this account is where we find the record of “the day the sun stood still”. (10:13) In this case, God’s “showing up” involved His power over nature. The sun and moon were held in check by His hand, the very hand which created them, and hail came down with brutal force. God moved on behalf of His people when they were too tired, too battle fatigued, and too incapable of securing victory on their own.

We will look at a few more hopeful lessons from this epic battle in the days ahead. If this were a television drama this would be the frame which reads, “To Be Continued”. Today, however, take time wherever you find yourself in life, regardless of your battles, to recognize your need of Him. Call on Him, trust Him, and hike with Him. The battle is His!

Still to come: battle fatigue, increasing opposition, failure, and being a rescuer

KEEP CLIMBING!!

Bruce Smith

optimuslife.org

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