Strong and Courageous –
31 Days of Victory Through Joshua’s Battles
Day Eight – Gezer – Precipice – Cut Off
“…the king of Gezer, one.” Joshua 12:12 NKJV
The fierce enemy Joshua faces conceals a two-edge sword.
One side of the blade, his name Gezer means – precipice or a vertical cliff. On the other side of the edge, his name can also be spelled Gazer which means “cut off”.
A vertical drop when I listen to his double talk.
“Then Horman (his name means elevation) king of Gezer came up…and Joshua struck him and his people, until he left him none remaining.” Joshua 10:33 NJKV
Lord, my I too have a Joshua spirit! Cutting off the lies and double talk tactics of any attack against my mind and heart. May I open my mouth boldly by wielding the powerful sword of Your Word keeping my emotions, body, soul, and spirit firmly position on The Rock, Your Son Jesus Christ.
“For the Word of God is living and powerful, and
Sharper than any two-edge sword,
Piercing even to the division of soul and spirit,
And joints and marrow,
And is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”Hebrews 4:12 NKJV
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God… that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel…” Ephesians 6:17 NKJV
“Having arrested Him, they led Him…” from the Mount of Olives, to Annas and Caiaphas the High Priest house. When morning came, they led Him to Pilate, who sent Jesus through the market, packed with people, and vendor’s wares to Herod’s palace. Circling back around, Herod sent Him back throughthe streets of Jerusalem to the Praetorium tostand before Pilate again. Circling around the City, and up the hill to Calvary… in my place, for me.
Thank You Lord, You walked to Calvary for me.
In the pressing, and circling of my mind,
I will look only unto Thee.
For Your Son Jesus wore the circle of thorns,
Providing rest for my mind, and
The taunts from the enemy.
“Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
How can I find victory over an impregnable enemy who appears strong and not easily taken by force?
The key to success over Lachish can befound in this enemy’sfirst name.
“…Japhia king of Lachish,” Joshua 10:3 NKJV
“Japhia” means “shine”.
Lachish wants to shine his strong imprisonment of distractions into my heart; causing me to battle with him all day.
Like Joshua, when I meditate, ponder, and store up God’s Wordin my heart, I’m empowered with the strongest shieldof Light and an impregnable defensed against any battlefield tactic or diversion the king of Lachish can cause in my day.
“For in You is the fountain of life;
In Your Light we see light.”
Psalm 36:9 NKJV
Oh, mighty warriors, traveling companions of mine, when we meditate and let His Word Shine into our thoughts, we are empowered to conquer the Lachish of our minds!
God bless you and thank you for joining the study.
I need to be on the lookout to guard my mind against anything (fear, anxiety, health, the concerns of my heart) that would exult itself above Christ.
“The Lord is my Shepherd;
I shall now want.” Psalm 23:1 NKJV
Thank You Lord for Your reminder. You are my Shepherd, and in You I have no lack.
Helmet on and ready to step into the day.
May you bless in Jesus Who loves you.
Denise
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought in to captivity to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 NKJV
Up the hill we climbed.
Each step drew us closer
To the days back in time.
Jerusalem – Anyone who knows me well, knows my heart skips a beat at the mention of the word, Jerusalem. According to the name meanings in the Strong’s Concordance, Jerusalem means – founded in peace.
Drawing my thoughts back to Israel, bits and pieces of memories penciled into my pocket journal. May I share a poem penned on the last day of our journey into the gates of Jerusalem in January 2018.
“As all the days before,
We started our journey
With the open bus door.
Up the hill we climbed.
Each step drew us closer
To the days back in time.
Through the Lion’s Gate.
The place were Stephen,
A “man full of faith and the Holy Spirit”
Was crowned a saint.
Along the streets of old,
One day knowing,
Will be made of gold.
Carried right along,
We sang our final pilgrim song.
Each note tucked deep inside
Hearts overflowing,
Washed in emotions tide.
In this place we understand,
The price He paid to
Save this wretched man.”
May you and your family be founded in His peace today.
…comforting words through the House of God – Bethel
Speak a word of encouragement (Bethel) into someone’s heap of ruins (Ai).
Pondering what would I speak as a word of encouragement into someone’s life after the year we come through? So many losses, health issues, financial worries, the list goes on and on.
Ai (a heap of ruins) which is beside Bethel.Bethel means House of God.
What word from the house of God, what Scripture would I offer to encourage and comfort? What encourages and comforts me?
Jeremiah 29:11 “for I know the plans I have for you says the Lord.” Would not be my first verse of choice. How can one think of plans when experiencing great loss. “Be still and know,” Psalm 46:10 does settle my heart when I’m in a spin, but what verse really speaks to me when I’m broken within?
“We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses.” Hebrews 4:15 NKJV
Of all the verse in times of distress and pain, it is very comforting for me to know,
Jesus, Himself, sympathizes with my weakness. He feels my pain, and He is interceding (praying) for me in my loss.
“Christ…who is even at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us.” Romans 8:34 NKJV
Right now, in heaven, on the right hand, the side of favor, Jesus is praying for us. What a blessed encouragement this is to my heart.
“Ai, which is beside Bethel. Joshua 12:9”
Maybe it’s not always about sharing a Scripture verse, maybe it’s about reaching out to encourage someone we know because Christ, in His prayer for them, has put in on our hearts to encourage who He is praying for. Isn’t that the sweetest! His hands, feet and comforting words through the House of God – Bethel. 💞🙏
Thank You Jesus, in our heap of ruins, You do not leave us nor forsake us on our own. All our Ai places in life are right beside Your Word – Bethel – in the House of God – the Bible.
I pray this Scripture would be an encouragement to someone today as we look to you to guide our way.
Pull me out of thinking about last night, last year’s troubles.
Waking to remember, I got my car stuck in the mud last night bringing my Mom home in the pouring rain.
It didn’t help leaving the car running for 15 minutes while I got her settled in for the night. Then there was the hesitation when I tried to pull away. I knew then, “I’m in trouble now” Reminding myself of the advice I recently heard,
“To hesitate is to tolerate.”
Marcus, who helps me every night to transport Mom and her wheelchair up and back from our house for dinner, (she is no weight bearing for another couple of weeks), we tried throwing rugs under the front wheel, but the tires continued to spin and sink deeper into Mom’s front yard. How stupid is this, I know better, now I’ll have to tolerate (endure, accept, stomach) the results of my actions.
Determined not to let it ruin our night, the last night of the year, we gathered our things and walked back up the lane singing. Yep, what else could we do in the cold, pouring rain of New Year’s Eve 2020. Seemed like a fitting end to this year.
“Over the river and through the woods,” we walked home, feet soaked, (of course, I didn’t slip on my rubber boots by the backdoor before leaving the house. I’m only going to be 15 minutes) Yes Mom, I remember, “Always put-on clean underwear when you go out in case something happens.” Only this time I could have used this advice for wearing my rubber boots!
So this morning, the first morning of the new year, I wondered to myself pouring the first cup of coffee, before dealing with my car “stuck” in the mud, “Gosh Lord, is this the word for the new year?
Don’t get stuck thinking about your troubles of 2020.
As is my way to study and understand, I picked up the Concordance to see if “stuck” was in the Bible.Nope, no “stuck”. That’s comforting, looks like God doesn’t see things as stuck. Humm, “What are you trying to say Lord?”
Opening the pages to Isaiah, my eyes fell on
“For since the beginning of the world
Men have not heard,
Nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God beside You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him.”
Isaiah 64:4 NKJV
Yes Lord, “Who acts for the one who waits for Him.”
The editor noted in the margin, next to verse 64: 4 “Psalm 31:19”. Seeking to hear and understand, I followed the path to Psalm 31. The answer to my question for this year was found in verse 4.
“Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my Strength.”
Psalm 31:4 NKJV
Pull me out –
Yes Lord, You “lead and guide me” verse 3.
Pull me out of thinking about last night, last year’s troubles.
Lead and Guide me, for You are my Strength.
The Hebrew word cluster for “pull me out” is numbered in the Concordance as #3318 (for those who like to dig deeper). Pull me out – yatsa – to go, to bring out, carry forth, a variety of words…shoot forth, spring out. #3319 – to finish.
Glancing up to see #3317 – (wait for it)
#3317 – Yiphtach or Jiphthah El
God will Open!
Now there’s a word I receive and can carry forth, shoot forth, spring out into the new year of 2021!
Don’t get stuck looking back on my troubles in 2020.
Yes, God knows I still have to deal with getting my car out of the mud, but I’m not to let, my troubleskeep me stuck in yesterday’s problems. Following His path to see and hear, “God acts for the one who waits for Him”.
God will Open
Thank you Lord, You will open, carry forth, ALL Your good plans as we allow You to“lead” and guide” us through this New Year in Jesus’ Mighty Name! Amen!
And what was verse 19 in Psalm 31 that sent me there in the first place?
“Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!” Psalm 31:19
Ps: Blue and Sarah our good friends are on their way to help us out! Thank You Jesus!
Whatever battle or disappointment you find this day,
Remember the LORD’s Strong Arm is not shorten
Nor is He unable or unwilling to save!
Cloudy and gray,
Road signs point,
Disaster coming our way.
But Your Love speaks a better Word!
One filled with Hope and not dread!
For You inhabit the praises of Your people;
For You are a Living God Whose Miracles
Continue to raise the dead!
Sing a new song, oh Your people,
Strap praise on thy thigh,
For the battle is the LORDS
When see through His eyes!
“O our God…we have no power against this great multitude (the concerns of our hearts) …nor do we know what to do,
But our eyes are upon You.” 2 Chronicles 20:12 NKJV
“So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa (valley of the trumpet); and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah (praise) and you inhabitants of Jerusalem (peace):Believe the LORD your God, and you shall be established…” 2 Chronicles 20:20 NKJV
“…he (Jehoshaphat) appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of Holiness, as they went out before the army (the power of praise in their hands) and were saying:
“Praise the LORD,
For His mercy endures forever.”
Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against (their enemies) and they were defeated.” 2 Chronicles 20:22 NKJV
Whatever battle or disappointment you find this day,
Remember the LORD’s Strong Arm is not shorten
Nor is He unable or unwilling to save!
“Awake, awake!
Put on Your Strength,
O arm of the LORD! Isaiah 51:9 NKJV
“Strengthen the weak hands,
And make firm the feeble knees,
Say to those who are fearful-hearted
“Be strong, do not fear!” Isaiah 35:3 NKJV
“Thus says the LORD to you:
“Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude
For the battle is not yours,
But God’s!” 2 Chronicles 20:15 NKJV
“Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go.
For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy.
Wise choices will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you safe.”
Proverbs 2:9-11 NLT
Bring on 2021!
Prayers for each of you and your families as we strap on praise and enter into His peace for the coming new year!
It’s been a while since I picked up my Joshua journal, opening the book, thumbing through the pages finding today’s date – Day 30 – and the words penciled – Gilgal.
Gilgal – the circle dance.
Spinning back around to the Promises of God. Held back, often by ourselves or the people we travel with in life, from the Promises of God. –
What is my Gilgal? What promises am I circling back around to today? Lord, I don’t believe it is by happenstance I reached for this book today. What are You speaking on this 30th day of this season?
“Command the priest who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan…and it came to pass, when the priest who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD and come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before….and they camped in Gilgal.” Joshua Chapter 4:14-20 NKJV
Gilgal – The place where the priest, (a shadow of you and me) the place where the priest feet stood firm (trusting in God) in the crossing of the Jordan, (into the Promise Land) bearing the Ark of the Covenant, (His Word tucked into our spirit, soul, and mind) to come up out of this year stepping into all the good promises found in His Word and encamp there (staying in the Word, circling back around time and time again to His faithful promises) in the coming new year.
The circle dance of Gilgal.
“The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, Amen.” Galatians 6:18 NKJV
