Dear church,

“See, I have given Jericho into your hand …” – Joshua 6:2

Don’t ever get overwhelmed by the work of the kingdom of God. This is easier said than done. Some of us desperately want to see more people come to faith in Jesus Christ. Some of us desperately want to see our loved ones turn back toward God. Some of us want to see more of the kingdom of God in our own lives – and less of our sinful selves.

We get overwhelmed when we forget the battle belongs to God. Joshua saw the unsheathed sword of the commander of God’s army (Joshua 5:13-14). That was evidence enough God would fight the battles in the Promised Land. God brought down the walls of Jericho.

The result means we can pursue the mission of Jesus Christ, to seek and to save the lost, with joyfulness. Jesus told the disciple Peter, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). The pressure is lifted off you, and the credit for the victory belongs with Jesus Christ.

This does not mean we have nothing to do. We still are called to faithful obedience to the Word of God. God is working through his people. As we obey, we know we have nothing to lose. We need not stress about times when the victory doesn’t seem to come. God still is at work. Our focus is on listening and obeying, no matter how strange the commands may seem.

Chris