For years, my favorite story from the Old Testament was of the prophet Elijah and the showdown against the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. (I always think of it as caramel, and then it makes me hungry... why couldn't they have named it something not muchies-inducing?) I get such a kick out of his heckling the other priests in 1 Kings 18:27 saying, "Why won't your god answer? Maybe he's busy in the bathroom? Or maybe he's asleep?" And then at the end of the showdown, Elijah calls on God to consume an offering so drenched it would be impossible to put it on fire by any human means. And then God did. Just imagining the show gives me goosebumps.
But now one story has totally eclipsed this for me. Near the end of Beth Moore's study "Believing God," she discusses an amazing story of Israel found in Joshua 10 that I heard but never really thought about in detail. Earlier, God had instructed Israel to not make any pacts with local cities, but Israel had entered into one with their deceitful neighbor without consulting Him. Upon discovering this new pact with an undefeated nation, other nearby rulers banded together to attack the city who had befriended God's people. Israel had no choice but to honor the foolishly-made pact and come to the rescue of their neighbor.
Despite their foolishness, God had promised Joshua in verse 8 that they would have the victory in this battle. But after an all night march, they faced an uphill fight in unfamiliar territory. Half way through the battle after they had seen God take out many of the enemy with hail stones, the warrior and intelligent battle-strategist Joshua knew they would need a little more help in order to receive the victory he was promised. So he prayed something that very few people would have had the audacity to even think. In verse 12, he prayed that the sun would hold still and provide enough daylight to finish the fight. And God made it happen.
Oh how I want to be like Joshua! In the middle of a serious battle, he stopped to pray for something as bold and maybe ridiculous as the sun standing still. I cannot help but wonder how many warriors nearby heard him, said "Whaaaaaaaa?" and marked it as something too crazy for God to do. Yet God delighted in Josh's request in absolute faith and honored it. How often do we think a certain request is too big, too ridiculous, too impossible, or just that it's something God would never do? I don't want to doubt the ability of my God anymore. In faith, I'm going to pray big and expect Him to answer big.
Another thing I loved about this story was that even though Israel had made a big fat mistake, God did not force them to endure the consequences on their own. In my own life, I've messed up and think that God would say "You got yourself into this mess, you get yourself out." That's a common thing people do, but I'm so glad that God is not like that at all. While we may have to face the consequences of our actions, He does not expect us to face them on our own. Just like He was with them and for them in a battle they should have never had to enter, he will also be with us and for us in the problems we get ourselves into. I don't know about you, but that's a huge comfort to me.
As a side note, this study that I've mentioned in several posts has been a life changing experience. I've grown so much closer to God throughout my weeks of study, and it's exciting to know that I've only just BEGUN to believe Him. I'm so beyond thrilled to see how God works in my life from here on out!
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