How can we trust God's timing in our personal battles, like Joshua did? Setting the Scene: A Day in Joshua’s Campaign “Then Joshua and all Israel with him crossed from Lachish to Eglon, and they laid siege to it and fought against it.” (Joshua 10:34) This single verse sits in a rapid-fire record of victories: city after city falls, yet every move happens in an ordered sequence. Joshua never rushes ahead of the Lord. He advances only when the pillar of cloud and fire of earlier years has been replaced by the clear word of God’s command through the Law and the revealed strategy given at Gilgal (Joshua 10:8). Noticing God’s Timing in Joshua 10:34 - The march from Lachish to Eglon came only after the previous city was secured, showing completion before advancement. - Joshua’s obedience remains uninterrupted; there is no gap in confidence even though the campaign stretches over days and miles. - Each pause and push unfolds exactly as promised in Joshua 1:3-5, confirming that the Lord’s timetable is as literal as the land He promised. Lessons for Our Personal Battles - Completion before continuation: finish the task God assigns today before hunting tomorrow’s victory. - Obedience over impulse: Joshua moved because God had spoken, not because momentum felt good. - Confidence anchored in covenant: the promises that carried Israel across the Jordan carry believers through career changes, health crises, and family conflicts. Practical Steps to Wait and Move with God 1. Saturate the mind with Scripture daily. Romans 10:17 states that faith comes by hearing the word of Christ; soaking in the word tunes the heart to divine timing. 2. Chronicle past deliverances. Psalm 77:11-12 encourages remembering the deeds of the Lord; reviewing former victories guards against impatience. 3. Seek counsel that honors the text. Proverbs 15:22 highlights the safety found in many advisers who revere Scripture. 4. Refuse shortcuts. Habakkuk 2:3 declares that the vision hastens toward the goal and will not delay; waiting preserves the purity of the path. 5. Move promptly once direction is clear. When God spoke, Joshua marched; delayed obedience is disobedience (James 4:17). Encouragement from Other Passages - Psalm 31:15: “My times are in Your hands.” - Ecclesiastes 3:1: “For everything there is an appointed time, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” - Galatians 4:4: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son.” Christ’s advent proves that God’s calendar is precise down to the very hour. - 2 Peter 3:8-9: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years; He is patient, not wanting any to perish. What feels slow is actually mercy at work. Living the Truth Today - Adopt the mindset that every delay is purposeful, every advance is empowered, every outcome is guaranteed by the same God who toppled Eglon. - Speak promises aloud during waiting seasons; Joshua did not merely think on God’s word, he declared it to the nation (Joshua 8:34-35). - Expect tangible outcomes. Scripture reports real walls falling, real kings defeated, real inheritance gained; personal battles likewise conclude in visible victory when aligned with God’s timing. Trust grows strong when Scripture is taken at face value, remembered in detail, and acted upon without hesitation. |
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