7 th March
(See Joshua 6)
The children of Israel had to walk around the wall of Jericho once for six days, and seven times on the seventh day. Ever wondered why nothing happened, no sign, no affirmation was to be had the first few times they marched. Nothing happened, no sign on the first through the sixth day. Nothing happened, no sign on the first, second, third, or sixth marches on the seventh day. Sounds easy enough to say it is because God had appointed the number of times they were to march around this wall. Indeed, God had given instructions on that. Breakthrough was definitely imminent if they obeyed. But why wasn’t there any sign that those first marches were working at all? No brick fell. Nothing shook. Nothing happened.
Our relationship with God, our walk of faith is worked out in those seemingly ineffective, unremarkable marches that spread over seasons and years.
Our God is a God of order. Everything in creation testifies of this. If we are to sustain a walk with Him, it behooves us to at least try our hardest to learn the ways of this God we’ve committed to. After all, it is a walk of faith. As it relates to the wall of Jericho, if God had wanted to give a sign that the marches were working, He would have. But God didn’t; and the Israelites kept marching, relying only on the Word of God. Unknown to them, unseen by the carnal eyes, yet glaringly evident to the eyes of faith, God was at work in those diligent marches.
We don’t draw back: The preview to the Hebrew homage to faith hall of famers goes thus, “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Hebrew 10:39. While the breakthrough is in the 7th March, faith is executed in the seemingly unremarkable marches. We have to make up our mind that we belong to a faith blood line of never-give-upers. We don’t give up.
7th march costs 6 marches: I believe we don’t begin to qualify for that breakthrough-inducing final walk until we’ve counted the cost and committed to paying it. See, the seemingly unremarkable marches are designed to ask us these questions: Have you counted the cost? Are you committed? Do you believe? Old wine skin is shed in the first marches and preparation made for the new wine skin. And as Jesus stressed, it is absolutely important to shed old wine skin or the new wine of the breakthrough would have been poured out in vain. Mark 2:21-22.
Patience’s course: We are transformed in and by the seemingly unremarkable marches. It is in those marches that patience has its perfect work. See James 1:4. The waiting and the trusting in God through those marches will do this for us. Patience aligns us with God’s timing. Patience is not about the passive passage of time; it is about operating in seasons controlled by God. We learn this as we continue to march in obedience without immediately seeing results.
Grace: You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. See II Timothy 2:1-10. Nothing exemplifies that the grace of God does not enable weakness than when we rely on that grace for strength to continue a journey even when there is no sign of results. This is the intent of grace: to make us stronger, not weaker. Perhaps the first march was easy, perhaps the second was still easy, and perhaps tactics and experience saw us through the third. But there will come a time when we will have to rely on God for our very next step. In this, we hone a very important Christian skill: absolute dependence on God.
God gets the glory: Although we are marching, the strength comes from grace. Many wanted to finish their race but couldn’t or simply didn’t. That we finish is the gift of grace. I always say a fulfilled dream is a gift from God. Many dream, but few will live their dreams. Our reliance on God through difficult, seemingly unremarkable marches makes Him alone worthy of the glory.
Hope this encourages us to not give up. I pray that we see that those bricks of hardship that we sweated over, marched around, fasted for, prayed about, will crumble simply as we breathe in the 7th day march. If we faint not.
And we will not faint! We are hewn from the Omega Rock, a Rock who finishes everything He starts. We are of them that believe to the saving of the soul!
By Sis Bolaji Akisanya