Stand Up & Stand Tall

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house” Matt.5:14-15.

The report of the spies was, “When they returned, they told Joshua, “There’s no need for all of us to go up there; it won’t take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don’t make all our people struggle to go up there” Josh.7:3. But fast forward to the next chapter, “Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land” Josh.8:1 [emphasis added]. God’s instruction for victory was the direct opposite of what the spies had suggested. If Joshua had inquired of the Lord in the first place there would not have been any defeat in the first place.

Some times when I read this portion of Scripture, I say to God, must you emphasis this? The Bible says they were soundly defeated [thoroughly whooped] and these were the people of God. Do not assume that because you are born again, you can live your life recklessly. Do anything you want to do, take any decisions you want to take and everything will just workout. Not at all.

“Then Joshua cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you are going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side!” Josh.7:7 [emphasis added]. This is the mistake a lot of us make. Sometimes, even I struggle with it. But we have to overcome it. Most people deal with discontentment by living in the future. But when they get to the future and it does not measure up to their expectation, they run back to the past. From little girls trying to grow up too quickly, to singles that can think of nothing else but getting married and beyond. And when the future does not match their expectations, the girls want to be little girls again and the couples wish they could be singles again.

The expectation of the future does not match up with what they had envisioned. So the convenient thing is run to the past. If only we had been content to stay on the other side – I call it the fantasy of the other side. God wants you to stand up and Stand Tall even in that messy situation. It will be tough and the pressure will be extreme but you are in the right place. God wants you to Stand Tall where you are.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I ask for the grace to Stand Up and Stand Tall in every situation, in Jesus Name.