Bible Passage: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NASB)
Scripture Reading: Joshua 5:13-15; Joshua 6:1-5
To fear the Lord is to give Him all the respect that He is due. It is to understand, truly, who He is and who we are in relationship to Him.
It is not a fear that worries about a capricious God with an unbridled temper might do. Rather, it is a knowledge that Jesus is infinitely wiser, stronger, and more deserving of honor than anyone or anything else.
Consider Joshua.
The Israelites had just entered the Promised Land. They had been wandering in the desert for forty years because of their rebellion, but at last they were done with that long, dusty journey. Throughout that time, Moses had been their leader, but Moses died, and the leadership mantle passed on to Joshua.
That’s a tough gig. Joshua needed to be smart if he was going to lead well.
The first major obstacle Israel faced was Jericho; the wandering nomads needed to take down a fortified city.
One night, Joshua was alone, scoping out the city. I’m sure he was racking his brain trying to come up with a plan of attack.
Suddenly, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand.
Joshua called over and asked if this stranger was for the Israelites or against them.
The answer he received was more than surprising.
“Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come” (Joshua 5:14).
Joshua was looking at the Lord!
Falling facedown, Joshua asked, “What are Your orders?”
In that moment, Joshua realized that it wasn’t his plans that were going to save the day, but the Lord’s plans.
Joshua followed through in complete obedience, and the plans succeeded. Interestingly, shortly thereafter, Joshua decided to follow his own plans, and that ended in a dismal failure (see Joshua chapter 7).
Men have to make plans all day long. I get it. But to the degree that we fail to consider the will and leading of Christ in those plans, is the degree that we will experience disappointment.
He knows more than we do; He’s always the smartest guy in the room.
Fear the Lord and seek His will.
Prayer: Dear Lord, why do I so often forget to seek You when it comes to deciding how I am going to carry out a plan? I seem to forget that You want to be intimately involved in every action of my life. I mistakenly think “I’ve got this” when, in reality, I might be missing way more than I could ever comprehend. You are the One who knows best. Have mercy on me for my lack of respect for You and the way You think. Lead me today in everything I do. Amen.
Reflection: Does it seem strange to you that Jesus knows more about whatever you are doing than you do? Are you willing to admit that Jesus’ way is better than your way? Are you willing to take the time to really listen to Him?
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