Daily Devotional

One of the most entertaining parts of sports is the dramatic stories. Wimbledon 2001 was one of the most dramatic scenes in tennis history for a man named Goran Ivanisevic. The former 1992 Australian open champion had fallen so far from his glory days that he needed a lucky wild card to even enter the tournament. He had made three previous Wimbledon finals and was the lucky loser each time. 2001 however, would prove to be different even though the final included a tough opponent, double faults, and tremendous amounts of doubt. Against all odds, the 125th seeded wild card held up the Wimbledon trophy. It was an unusual victory, to say the least.

A similarly dramatic scene is contained in Joshua chapter 6. We have our hero, Israel; the villain, the city of Jericho; the swelling action, marching around the city; then, of course, the climax, the walls came tumbling down. Similar to Ivanisevic's win many many years later, Israel's dramatic victory was against all odds. With a new generation and a new leader, the Israelites stood on the brink of the promised land with the choice of whether they would trust God to fight for them. God used a battle plan that surpassed human understanding to accomplish His purpose. Paul says words just like this in 1st Corinthians 1:27, "God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong."

Throughout this action plan, God would use the Israelites to execute His will and purpose. God's people must participate in the battle of Jericho by marching around the city and as a result of their obedience, God will give them victory by bringing down the walls. By acting in faith, these massive walls imploded upon themselves without a bulldozer or wrecking ball because God Himself brought them down. This to me is an awesome reminder that God fights on behalf of His people when they respond in obedience. We only need to heed His instruction and have faith in His promises. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.