Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional by Kenton Cheek

23 March 2024

Reading From Joshua 5-8

“Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in.”

–Joshua 6:1-5

The gates were securely barred and the walls still stood strong when Yahweh told Joshua that He had delivered Jericho into his hands. From the outside it sure didn’t look like the city was defeated and Israel triumphant. And the battle strategy God gave them was to carry the symbol of His Presence around the fortified city with the worship leaders, blow the trumpets and shout. None of this makes sense to unbelieving minds, but there are deep spiritual truths at play here.

God knows everything and is all-powerful. When God tells us something, it’s as good as done. What the Israelites didn’t know from the outside was that the pagan people of Jericho were terrified of what Yahweh was about to do and fear makes people vulnerable and weak. Followers of Jesus sometimes look around us and see what seems to be really strong enemies in the world around us, but in reality those who oppose God are afraid and the battle belongs to the Lord.

Victory over sin and death has already been provided to the children of God. Even when circumstances don’t look like it, the reality is that Jesus has already died on the cross and conquered death through the resurrection. We just need to trust in God, believe in Him and what He has done for ourselves, and worship Him in our hearts and out loud for He is worthy of all the praise and all the glory. When Jesus said, “It is finished” He meant it. Know that victory is yours in Christ Jesus.

“God, thank You for breaking down strongholds in my life in Jesus’ strong and mighty Name! I praise You for the total victory over sin and death that You won on Calvary and in busting out of the garden tomb. Hallelujah! I pray that I would not forget what You have already done for me, but that I would live my life in freedom and victory. Thank You for bringing victory to Your children. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!”

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

–Romans 8:31-37