The Promised Land was occupied and God had told the Israelites that they were to clear the land and occupy it. It is not just a history of that area of land, it also speaks to Christians about our life with God. When we become Christians we do suddenly become part of God's Kingdom and come under His rule and His blessing, but it doesn't necessarily mean that our lives become changed, cleaned up and immaculate overnight. On a rare occasion I have heard a testimony to that effect, but for most of us it is a life long journey to slowly deal with the damage and work of the enemy, the devil, in our lives and to receive healing and cleansing so that more and more of our lives can be healthy and whole, and can bring glory to God - to effectively demonstrate His great love and kindness towards humankind.
In the battle for the city of Jericho, God gives Joshua clear instructions. Jericho was a large, walled city which was seemingly impenetrable. However God's instructions were surprising and strange. This is Joshua 6: 3 - 5:
"3 March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days. 4 Have seven priests carry trumpets of rams’ horns in front of the ark. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times, with the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When you hear them sound a long blast on the trumpets, have the whole army give a loud shout; then the wall of the city will collapse and the army will go up, everyone straight in. "
The long and the short of it is that according to the scripture the plan worked, the walls fell (there is genuine archaeological evidence to support this) and Joshua and the Israelites took Jericho. But the point I wanted to make is that sometimes, when we have a large enemy stronghold in our lives, God asks us to do some strange things and we have to act before we see the results.
For me, with my battle against ill health, as I've mentioned before, each time I would seem to hit a wall God would direct me to get prayer with some good Christian friends, and each time (praise Him!) a layer of ill health would lift and things would get a bit better. Last year, during some of the worst of this battle, I took a surprising step. I got a tattoo.
I had prayed about it for a long time, but it was something I really felt was right to do. It is on my lower back, so no one really gets to see it. However during the worst of my illness and all the serious financial and debt issues we had had to face before the battle for health, I went through a very protracted wilderness experience. Even though I cried out in great need and desperation, my prayers seemed to bounce off the ceiling. And if I'm honest, this very dark, very difficult period caused me to doubt my faith. I'd known God my whole life (even though I wasn't brought up in a Christian home - a story for another day), but He seemed to have turned his back, and I seriously doubted. I even found myself shouting "If you don't speak, I will know you're not real!", and then had to question, if I am doubting, who am I talking to? It was those times that made me realise that I might be mad at God, but I knew He could hear and was real.
It was when I wasn't very far out of this period (and the debts still remain to this day, although they slowly diminish as we labour to pay them off) that I fell ill and another battle began. But by now I had learnt that so often praise comes before the victory. So although I felt so very unwell, I decided that I was putting an end to all doubts once and for all, and that no matter what happened in my life I was going to show the enemy I was God's child and I wasn't going to change on that count. Ever.
I prayed and thought long and hard and this is what I came up with:
It is my testimony in a nutshell. The butterfly is a Blue Morpho. Blue is often associated with Heaven and God's Kingdom, and butterflies represent metamorphosis - God has taken much of my ugliness and made it into something beautiful on the inside (I hope - although I know I am very much a 'work in progress'!). The scripture is my testimony, the story of God's work in me: "In my anguish I cried out to the Lord, and He answered by setting me free."
Now how does this relate to Jericho? I had the tattoo done whilst still in the thick of the battle. Effectively, it was my battle cry before the walls fell. Did I feel a bit daft? In a way, yes, because at the time the scripture wasn't true as far as ill health went (more a prophecy of what was to come). But I suspect the Israelites, who were greatly feared because of God's victory on their behalf with the Egyptians, felt rather foolish marching around a city and then doing nothing for 6 days, before blowing trumpets and shouting on the 7th! But who had the last laugh?
I still battle on. But I am so very much improved. Last week I worked 4 days out of 5, had 8 meetings with, or about, the children, had a prayer meeting about my health on Friday and we had our son's 9th birthday party on Saturday and Sunday. I could not have done that even a few months ago.
Friday I had a prayer meeting with friends about my health, as I don't want to live managing situations with pharmaceuticals. Two of us felt there was more to pray into and something else, perhaps one last thing, to be revealed, dealt with and go. So we are meeting again tonight. But whatever happens, I know, and the enemy knows, that I have already raised my shout of victory and claimed the victory in faith. No matter how silly or foolish I look, no matter how long it takes, I know what the Bible says about my health now and I know My God much better, and I know that it is just a matter of time before the walls in my life come tumbling down. And after the ill health has gone, I can truly set to work on the debts, the relatives who refuse to talk to us, etc (there will always be another victory to be won)!
May you be blessed, and may you see your walls of difficulty come tumbling down : )
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