Heralds Digest

"So they answered Joshua and said, “Because your servants were clearly told that the Lord your God commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you; therefore we were very much afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing." (Joshua 9:24 NKJV) Life is consistently good only to those who are willing to surrender to the will of the Maker of life. Unlike many other nations who played strong, the Gibeonites preferred to play smart. Every man is entitled to his desires, but the acknowledgment of the supremacy of God's will is the antidote against frustration in life. How blissful would our world, nations, organizations, and families be, if the will of God can supersede personal interests? Smart bargain is actually not a show of weakness, but the exchange of personal strength with divine strength.

"Now the Lord said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land." (Joshua 8:1 NKJV) Moment is often defined by both the state and statements around life. After the defeat in Ai, Joshua and Israel are in a state of fear and discouragement. Statements of people under this condition of despair can hardly improve their state of minds. Fortunately, the statement that makes a difference in moment of despair does not necessarily depend on the declared veracity of the state. Out of all the voices that come to mind in moments of apparent failure and rejection in life, the only voice of truth comes from God. Therefore, a defining moment is meant to be captured by the Lord's declaration; and not by any man's definition.

"So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?"" (Joshua 7:10 NKJV) There is a subtle infection of unprofitable quietness that often rob believers of their rights to victory and good success in life. Beside the ignorance of Joshua about the infection from sin within the camp of Israel, the defeat at Ai could have been blamed on over-confidence or loss of concentration of the chosen 3,000 men of war. However, Joshua's disquieting intervention broke the silence of heaven. While quietness as regard the sharing of personal discomfort in the public can be counter-productive, quietness with respect to closet sharing of concerns with God is unprofitable.

"Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.” " (Joshua 6:10 NKJV) Without the type of restraint enforced by Joshua, senseless strategy is bound to generate sensible shouting for order. Faced with a securely fortified Jericho wall, it is normal to anticipate strategy that guarantees progressive weakening of the fort with daily engagement of the army of Israel for six days. Instead, a circumferential march around the wall was recommended, followed by nothing but rest. Obviously, the six days of match focuses on the relationship of the army of Israel with God rather than any interaction with the wall of Jericho. Strategy that demand quietness may appear senseless, especially in terms of provocative confrontations, it may provide the much-needed fellowship with God as a reliable refuge.

"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." (James 1:19-20 NKJV) The common danger along the trial trail is the likelihood of falling into frustration. Obviously, it is difficult to access the measure of grace against wrath unless human temperament is subjected to trial triad: (1) listen; (2) speak; and (3) act in trial. Danger of wrath during trial is averted only if we can listen dispassionately ; listen attentively ; speak neutrally ; speak gently ; act exceptionally ; and act righteously . The trial trail produces righteousness with the right triad attitude.

"Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." (James 1:16-17 NKJV) Despite the clarity of the scripture about the innocency of God, the answer to the question about who is responsible for the prescription of every bittle pill in life is always sensitive and controversial. Although God is not the architect of evil, his permission does not withdraw the responsibility of man in every predicament of life. Anyone who has walked along the trial trail knows how easy it is to swallow the deception of the enemy, whereby responsibilities of life's affliction are shifted outside self. Blaming others is cheap; and blaming God is common. However, there is always no variation in the promised light at the end of every trial trail, if confidence in God is constant.

"Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away." (James 1:9-10 NKJV) The beauty of creativity is appreciated with every focus on the transition of change. Season changes from summer through spring and fall to winter with unique radiance of colours, weather, and vegetation. Unfortunately, the expected radiance fades whenever focus is shifted from the transition of change to the transient state of human mind. Nevertheless, God who is the Changer of things and events in our changing never change. Therefore, those who put their confidence in Him can enjoy every transition in life. Obviously, changes with the touches of the unchanging Changer can take any round; but every round will surely turn out good.