I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Joshua 5. “Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’ ‘Neither,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant?’ The commander of the Lord’s army replied, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so” (Verses 13-15). This chapter is awesome and sad to me all at the same time. Why sad? Note it was not God who spoke to Joshua (as He did with Moses), but He sent the commander of His army, still awesome, yes, but just not the same. We have the opportunity to have a Moses relationship with God. How? Christ has given us access to stand before God’s throne without fear. We are clean in Him, we are the spotless bride.  I love the response of God’s general when asked if he was for Israel or against her. His answer, “Neither”. He is for God, his will and desire was to do what God commanded. PERIOD. Here is something even cooler, Joshua’s response. Face down in reverence not to the general, but to God he asks, “What message does MY Lord have for HIS servant?” I struggle with, “Dear Lord help me be a light.” Joshua is leading literally millions of people into what seems like certain death (from the perspective of the world). My question would have been, “Lord are you sure?” His question, “Lord what do you want me to do?” This is the goal of the Christian walk, to say like Joshua, “Lord what message do YOU have for YOUR servant today?” Then when He answers, DO IT.