Tag Archives: obstacles

Devotional

Wall Breaking

Leave a comment

Read Joshua 6:1-20

ALSO IN SCRIPTURE
“By faith the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down” (Hebrews 11:30 NLT)

Image created by Rev. Todd R. Lattig, generated by AI provided by Microsoft.

As many of you know, I am a life-long Bon Jovi fan. Their music has been a soundtrack to many moments in my life, providing inspiration and encouragement through the years. Recently, Bon Jovi released a new album, Forever, featuring the song “Walls of Jericho.” This song, with its powerful lyrics and driving melody, speaks to the resilience and determination needed to overcome life’s challenges. The metaphor of the walls of Jericho represents the barriers and obstacles that stand in our way, much like the literal walls that stood before the Israelites in the biblical story of Jericho.

The story of Jericho, found in Joshua 6, is a powerful testament to faith and obedience. The Israelites, led by Joshua, were faced with the daunting task of conquering the fortified city of Jericho. The walls of Jericho were not just physical barriers; they symbolized the seemingly insurmountable challenges that the Israelites had to overcome to enter the Promised Land.

God’s instructions to Joshua were unconventional. Instead of a direct assault, the Israelites were to march around the city once a day for six days, with the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant and blowing trumpets. On the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times, and then, at Joshua’s command, the people were to shout. It was then that the walls of Jericho would collapse, allowing the Israelites to take the city.

This story is a profound lesson in faith and perseverance. The Israelites had to trust in God’s plan, even when it didn’t make sense from a human perspective. Their obedience and faith were rewarded when the walls of Jericho fell, just as God had promised.

In our own lives, we often face walls of Jericho—obstacles that seem insurmountable, challenges that test our faith and resilience. These walls can take many forms: personal struggles, professional setbacks, health issues, or relational conflicts. Like the Israelites, we are called to trust in God’s plan and to persevere in faith, even when the path forward is unclear.

Bon Jovi’s “Walls of Jericho” reminds us that resilience is key to overcoming these challenges. The song’s lyrics encourage us to keep pushing forward, to keep believing, and to keep fighting, even when the odds are against us. This resilience is rooted in faith—faith that God is with us, that God has a plan for us, and that God will help us overcome the obstacles in our path.

The practical application of this story and song is clear: when faced with our own walls of Jericho, we must remember to trust in God’s timing and God’s methods. We may not always understand God’s ways, but we can be confident that God is working for our good. Our role is to remain faithful, to keep marching, and to believe that, in God’s perfect timing, the walls will come down.

Consider the times in your life when you have faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Reflect on how your faith and resilience helped you navigate those challenges. Perhaps you are currently facing a wall of Jericho in your life. Remember that, just as the Israelites trusted in God’s plan and saw the walls fall, you too can trust in God’s plan for your life.

God’s methods may not always align with our expectations, but they are always perfect. The story of Jericho teaches us that victory comes through faith and obedience. It is a reminder that God’s power is greater than any obstacle we face. When we trust in God and follow God’s guidance, we can overcome even the most formidable barriers.

As we reflect on the story of Jericho and the message of Bon Jovi’s song, let us be encouraged to face our challenges with faith and resilience. Let us remember that, just as the walls of Jericho fell by the power of God, so too can the walls in our own lives be overcome by God’s strength and grace.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY
Trust in God’s plan and persevere in faith, for God will help you overcome the walls in your life.

PRAYER
Lord, help me to trust in Your plan and to persevere in faith, knowing that You will help me overcome the obstacles I face. Amen.

Devotion written by Rev. Todd R. Lattig with the assistance of ChatGPT, an AI language model developed by OpenAI.

Devotional

Crooked Paths

Leave a comment

Read Isaiah 42:12-16

ALSO IN SCRIPTURE

Seek [God’s] will in all you do, and [God] will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:6, NLT)

A couple of months back I was watching a televangelist who just happened to be on at the time I turned the TV. I cannot remember which televangelist it was; however, I distinctly remember his message. He was utilizing Proverbs 3:6 and proclaiming that those who submit to God, those who know God and have a relationship with God, those who faithfully acknowledge God will find that God makes their paths straight (NRSV) for them. In other words, bumpy, crooked, twisted, and labyrinth-like roads are OUR doing. The implication is, of course, that if life is hard, if things aren’t going smoothly, if we feel that our path is an obstacle course, then that means we are NOT submitting to, knowing, or faithfully acknowledging God and God’s direction for our lives.

I vehemently reject that notion! Too often I hear people questioning their faith, as well as God’s love for them, because their road is hard and things aren’t going well. Too often the sick are guilted to think they didn’t faith enough or they didn’t pray hard enough when they aren’t healed. Too often the abused think that God is punishing them, or allowing the abuse to happen, because they haven’t been acknowledging God enough in their lives. Too often the oppressed stay in oppressive situations because they feel that God has placed that on them as “their cross”, only to find out that the cross is never, ever removed.

While I do not deny that there is truth to the Proverb, I think that it has been hijacked by those who want to say what it doesn’t. When we look at the Bible, we do simply DO NOT see a God who ALWAYS gives the faithful a straight path. Let’s look at the Exodus. They submitted to God, went out on a limb and followed the seemingly nutty prophet Moses straight out of Egypt with the hopes they would arrive safely, and relatively quickly, to the land of promise. Instead of God taking them the direct route (approx. 372 miles or about a week’s journey, give or take), God led them on a 40 year journey zig-zagging, backtracking, and back again through the wilderness. Yes, the people fell in and out of faith during that journey, but it started off crazy. They cross the depths of a sea instead of going a few miles North to go through shallow water. They go South, through mountainous terrain instead of North, which was the direction of the Promised Land. So, yeah, they were a little frustrated when an entire generation of people died off before they reached what should have been only a week away.

Beyond the Exodus, let’s look at Esther. Was her path straight? How about Jeremiah? How about Daniel? How about Job? Was Job’s path straight? How about Jesus? Look at his life. He invested himself in God and in the people he came to serve. Did that lead to a coronation, to adoration and a straight path to being revered? Nope. His path was anything but straight. It led to being second guessed by his family, misunderstood by his disciples, betrayed by one of his own, rejected by the people he had invested in, arrested by his enemies, and beaten, tortured, and killed by the world he came to save. That doesn’t sound like a straight, “easy peasy lemon squeezy” path to me. Should our theology imply that Moses, Esther, Jeremiah, Daniel, Job, John the Baptist, and Jesus didn’t submit, faithfully acknowledge or follow God well enough? Should we imply that they failed in their faith? Of course not!

Do not be seduced by such conveniently simple, and extremely dangerous, theologies. God never promised us easy, straight paths. What God did promise is that God would never abandon or forsake us on this bumpy journey. God would never forget us or leave us alone. Even if we aren’t always faithful, God always is!!! If we are faithful, then our faith will make us aware of God’s presence. The aforementioned proverb is pointing to that. If we acknowledge God, then our faith in God will show us the way God is leading us. It will make God’s way clear to us. Let us not be seduced by shortcutting around hard-earned understanding with bad theology, let us rather wrestle with God and grow in our faith. Then the path will be made known to us, whether it is easy or not.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

“It is a rough road that leads to the heights of greatness.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca

PRAYER

Lord, I have faith that you are with me and I trust that you are guiding me. Make your way clear to me and I will follow. Amen.