The Sun Stood Still

Reading: Joshua 10:1-15
Prayer: Lord, we have no strength or wisdom apart from You. Help us to accomplish more than we ever dreamed while bringing all glory to You.   
Daily Challenge: What, if anything, stirs inside you, but you are hesitant to ask God about it because it seems ridiculous? Will you pray about it today?
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The five kings of the Amorites, rulers over major cities in the southern mountains, band together to fight against Gibeon (a large group that had made peace with Israel) in hopes of also defeating Israel.  When the Israelite came to the defense of the Gibeons, the Lord declared to Joshua (the leader of the Israelites),

"Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands, not one of them shall stand before you." Joshua 10:8


These words allowed Joshua to fiercely pursue the Amorites and to pray an extremely audacious prayer while they were fighting; he said,

"...O sun, stand still at Gideon, and O moon in the valley of Aijalon." Joshua 10:12

He prayed for something that was impossible... well, something that was impossible with men and in the "natural order" of things.  Since God is the creator of nature, I guess it stands possible that He can also alter it.

"So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies... There was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel." Joshua 10:13, 14

As God calls us to many things in this life, He also never fails to equip us for those things.  Joshua and his men, in their own strength and will power, did not have the ability to fight FIVE major cities that day, but his willingness to move forward in faith allowed God's grandeur to shine.

I am a regular person that has faced many hardships and had to deal with the many consequences of my own bad choices - yet, God has called even me into "God-sized" events.  He has molded, shaped and equipped me for things that I could have never dreamed possible.

We have finally received our court date for our adoption - which means we will finally meet our son, we will finally know definitively whether or not they will allow him to come live with us for the rest of his growing up years.  Even though parenting birth children and adopted children are very common-place tasks, I am not naïve to believe that I can do it on my own accord. 

These are His children that He has entrusted to our care, and Ron and I do not have the wisdom or the energy to have a fulfilling marriage, parent these children well and continue on with "life" without supernatural intervention.  I praise God today for the strength He has imposed upon our family.  It is an awesome and amazing adventure.

I never want to stop praying audacious prayers because it is in these prayers and seeing God answer these prayers that my faith continues to grow to new levels - and honestly, it is just AWESOME to see the things He comes up with!  My desire for things that don't really matter continue to fade, and my desire for surrendering myself to His plans for my life continuously elevate.

My audacious prayer today is that through the amazing works God has done in and through me will create a contagious joy to those around me who do not know the love of Jesus Christ - that they too will know their need for a Savior and come to know Him intimately.

Many blessings to all of my readers today!

Father God, I give You praise and glory for this amazing journey we've been on and will continue to pursue.  You are the God who made the sun stand still for Joshua, and You have the same capabilities today.  Thank You for Your love, for equipping us, and for giving us amazing joy and pleasure in this life.  I am in complete awe of You!

 *For further reading, I recommend "Sun Stand Still" by Steven Furtick.



 

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