Hitting the Wall

The faith series our Pastor is going through is challenging to say the least. Perhaps my initial response is like so many others when it comes to issues of faith. I know there is plenty of room for growth, but on the continuum, I feel like I'm making progress. However, when I really examine the 'faith hall of fame-ers' from Hebrews 11, I'm humbled. I'm not even close.

This past week as we re-read the story of Joshua and the wall of Jericho, I "heard" things that I hadn't really heard before. I remember the story from my early Sunday School days of childhood, as well as a couple of songs that play through my mind...but the specifics of the story...the call to extreme faith has somehow escaped me. In my child's mind it made sense that marching around a wall and shouting would make the walls tumble, after all, God was involved.

But, as an adult, I realize that this 'child-like' faith has become somewhat hardened and at times skeptical. Of course I know God made the wall tumble down, but I think much more about Joshua and his troops...how strange this whole encounter must have been for them. Would I have the same kind of faith if confronted with such a wall?

Unlike Joshua, I find that when I encounter obstacles to a vision the Lord has given me, or a passionate direction that I am called to, I end up hitting the wall, rather than obediently marching around it, waiting until God's perfect timing. I become discouraged by the objections, the negative voices, the impediments, rather than pressing forward. My focus becomes the wall and not what lies beyond the wall.

As Pastor John went through the story of Joshua, there were several things I hadn't recalled. One of the "elements" to the story was the fact that the entire army was circumcised prior to marching around the wall! As it was pointed out, this is not the "norm" for heading into battle! You can't get that much more dependent on the Lord....physically hurting and not able to be at your top fighting potential. What struck me was that not only does God want us totally dependent on him, but this is a great illustration of how personal God is. He wants His mark on each of us in the most intimate, private parts (for lack of a better description) of us. There is nothing hidden from Him. Nothing that He doesn't have ownership of. Every bit of our being is His...and it is with this understanding and acknowledgement that we enter into the battles we face and the steps of faith that He calls us into, fully surrendering to what He wants to accomplish.

I couldn't help but think about the soldiers who had been so prepared for battle. Fighting men, trained, fit and ready for the job at hand. Willing to go into the fight. Physically they were incapacitated for a while, but mentally, they must have been very ready for engagement, perhaps playing through different scenarios in their minds. But even in that, God interrupted their logical mental preparation by calling them to do battle in a way that made no sense at all.

How often do I find myself thinking that the only thing I will be called to do is what I'm "geared up for", or well trained to do, or mentally prepared for? I too easily think that the path should make sense or be clear. Again, I hit the wall, rather than obediently march around it. What I'm seeing is a common strand that threads its way throughout these examples of faith. In each example God often called them to do what they didn't feel personally able to do, or trained for, or even mentally ready to do--or was sensible to them--but they obeyed, willing to follow, willing to move in the direction God said.

I'm thankful for the example of Joshua and his men who were obedient, trusting, faithful in marching around the walled city of Jericho. It is a good reminder and encouragement to me; when the world says it would make sense to 'hit the wall' and quit, God says 'Surrender totally to me, keep marching and then just at the right time, I'll tell you when to shout...and wait 'til you see what happens next!