THE PERFECT BUSINESS PLAN - Obstacles In The Path

Then the Lord said to Joshua,"See I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with it's king and it's fighting men." Joshua 6: 2

Joshua completes his task of leading the people into the promise land. His dream and God's vision have come true. The people have actually tasted the food from their new land. Everything seems to be going great. The people have celebrated their Passover in honor of God's fulfilling promise.

Suddenly, a strange man appears to Joshua with a message from God. The city of Jericho is standing in the way of their complete occupation of the land of Cannan. What Joshua does now will determine the future outcome for the entire plan of God. He must decide whether or not to listen to the message this stranger brings. Just like Joshua, we too must be sensitive to God's voice in our life. Recognizing His voice, however, can only come when we have a close relationship with Him. We must be seeking God with a listening ear and a ready to follow spirit. 

Jericho is a city in the promise land of Canaan that stood against God and His plan. It was a heavy fortified city completely protected by walls that could not be penetrated. But for Joshua, this city and the message, was a test to his faith and belief that God was working in his life. In order to advance forward, Joshua would now have to depend more on the Lord than on his own forces, abilities or strategies. He must listen to the voice of God through this stranger.

We all have our Jericho's. With every dream, every plan, there comes a Jericho that stands in the way of our reaching our dream. We too, must identify these as obstacles to overcome and rely on the fact God is directing our every step. God knows about our obstacles just as He did in the case of Joshua, and He can bring us this same victory no matter how uncertain it may appear. We just have to be willing to face our Jericho's and understand that the battle is already won. Every Jericho in our life is a test of our faith - do we believe God and will we follow Him?

In times of distress and facing what seems to us as an insurmountable obstacle, we naturally want to fall back on our own forces, abilities, and strategies.  We must, however, realize that God can have a better idea. If God knows about the obstacles in our way, then He also has a plan to overcome the obstacle. God is always going ahead of us to prepare the way. Out task is to stay so in touch with Him that we recognize the path and we trust Him. Amazingly, with every step we take in following God, He sends an "armed guard" ahead to fight the battle for us. What is also unbelievable, is that He also sends a "rear guard" behind us to protect us and to preserve the path that has been won. All we have to do is stay on the path and out of the ditch. 

God's way at times may seem strange and therefore, will challenge our ability to follow. As we read of God's plan for the battle of Jericho, our minds can be filled with doubt. God's way for us to defeat our Jerichos may seem impossible, but we must remember, it is a test to believe God. Even though God's plan was unorthodox, Joshua listened and obeyed every single unusual detail. 

With God providing the victory over our Jerichos, comes another requirement from God.  We have given the battle to God, we now must give Him a portion of the victory. That will include, without question, all the honor and glory. But it also requires that we set aside a portion of our material success to be devoted to the Lord and His Kingdom.  Several years ago, I had a good friend who went through a horrific Jericho in their business. Having given ownership of the business to the Lord previously, he now gave this battle over to Him also. It took time, but he stayed committed to following God through the entire ordeal. When the victory came, he called in all the employees and shared his experience. My friend shared that he wanted to give back to God a portion of the victory. In honor of the employees commitment to stay the course and share in the suffering, the company donated a contribution to a ministry designated by each employee in the name of that employee. 

In the end, Joshua followed God completely. The walls of Jericho came down, the battle was won on God's terms. Our battles can be won if we do our part and let God do His part. Our part is to stay close to God and obey His instructions. We go forward with strength, courage, and a determination to rely upon God. God's part is to fight the battle as we march behind His army. When the battle is won, and the obstacle conquered, we celebrate by giving Him the glory and returning a portion of our success for His Kingdom.