THE LORD SPOKE (March 29)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: Joshua 8-9

Divide and conquer. That was the military strategy used by Joshua and many generals after him. His first drive was up the middle. Coming in the back door from Transjordan, he hit Jericho first and then moved farther in to Ai, located in the central hills and northeast of Jerusalem.

The Central Benjamin Plateau is just west of Ai and would provide a very strategic staging ground for Joshua’s conquest of the heartland. His next move was down the ridge into the Aijalon Valley (Josh. 10), effectively cutting the country in two. A hard southern thrust knocked out the five Amorite kings and gave Israel control of the entire region.

Attention turned next to the northern coalition of kings that were gathering against him (Josh. 11). Joshua met and defeated them at the Waters of Merom near Hazor. “Then the land had rest from war” (Josh. 11:23b). Divide and conquer.

Unite and resist. The Gibeonites found the only way to survive before such superior force. By uniting with three other local cities (Josh. 9:17), they put together a deceptive ruse in an attempt to trick the Israelites into preserving their lives. It worked! Without consulting the Lord (Josh. 9:14), the men of Israel looked at their cracked sandals and moldy bread and made a treaty with them.

Big mistake! But there are some lessons in it for us:

1) Divide and conquer. The job before us is huge. How can we reach every person on the planet within our generation? Only if we work according to a plan, dividing up the task before us, and then moving intentionally in with trust in the Lord and victory as our goal.

2) Unite and resist. Together we can take back the ground our Enemy has captured. We’re to resist him, tooth and toenail. United we can stand against his fiery darts.

3) Consult the Lord. Let’s don’t make the mistake of Joshua’s men. Daily, systematically, and faithfully let us pursue a word from the Lord. Read Scripture so He can speak to you - it’s the tool by which the Holy Spirit gives direction.


New Testament: John 20

Missouri has no corner on the sight-first market. We all have a tendency to say, “Show me!” before we’ll swallow something. After all, “seeing is believing”.

While it was still dark on that first Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and “saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance”. We’re not told that she believed but her report indicates that she knew the tomb was empty (Jn. 20:1-2).

Next came Peter and John. John was first to arrive but at first he only looked inside. When he finally entered the empty tomb and saw the evidence, he believed (Jn. 20:8). Only later did he come to see the evidence in Scripture. Then he came to understand that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

That evening most of the disciples were together behind locked doors when Jesus appeared to them. They were “overjoyed when they saw the Lord” (Jn. 20:20 - might that be called 20/20 vision?). They rebounded with the message, “we have seen the Lord!” (Jn. 20:25). By the way, did you notice that “He showed them his hands and side”?

Poor Thomas missed the occasion and made his forever-name in history by saying “unless I see...I won’t believe”. So Jesus accommodated him by appearing again one week later and saying “see my hands” (Jn. 20:26-27). Thomas is smitten and cries out the most succinct statement of faith found in Scripture, “My Lord and my God!” to which Jesus replies:

“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

And that’s still true 2000 years later! Have you come to see the Lord from these eye-witness accounts? He has, in fact, shown us the truth. Blessed are we if we believe.