Impact - Day 24

Day 24 – Superimpose

Joshua 4:19-20  The people crossed the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. Then they camped at Gilgal, just east of Jericho. It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River.

Have you noticed that the instant you power past an obstacle and achieve a victory in your life, you are immediately faced with another, sometimes more significant, problem? Occasionally, there will be a moment for celebration and a deep breath, Like the Israelites resting a beat to admire the altar they have just erected commemorating the miraculous crossing of the Jordan.

Their backs are to the rushing waters, and their feet are pointed forward in the direction of God’s invitation. They camped at Gilgal, sandwiched between the recently crossed river and Jericho's towering city. Briefly, they stand in the “in-between.”

Even as the children of God celebrate and rest, thoughts of what awaits them at Jericho rush through their heads, filling their hearts with fear. This imposing city stands as a gateway to the promised land and was a primary culprit in the crippling terror that caused the people to reject entering the land forty years ago. Its walls are fortified, and its people are menacing. 

The Hebrews were so concerned about the barrier this city created that days ago, Joshua sent two spies to provide reconnaissance on the dangers. The result? Confirmation that this ragtag group of slave descendants doesn’t have what it takes to overpower Jericho. It is impassable and hopeless. The spies barely returned alive (more on that later). Imagine the murmurs as the people gossip about what’s next. 

Appreciate the irony as Israel pauses between the impossible task of overcoming Jericho and the crossing of the Jordan. Their hands still hold the grit from carrying rocks to build an altar of celebration, and their sandals are dusty from the riverbed, made instantly dry. How quickly do we humans tend to forget the power of God?

You and I are no different. We obsess over today’s problem until it becomes yesterday’s miracle. Then, we move on to the next difficulty. But I invite you to superimpose the two upon one another. Jericho is meant to be viewed with the altar in the foreground and vice versa. The Israelites are standing at the evidence that the city's walls will fall. So, take a screen capture of God’s gracious acts in your life to carry into the adventure of His calling. Fill your pockets with post-it notes of God’s blessings as you face today’s challenges. Carry the altar of His miraculous love with you as you face the stack of immovable objects.

1. Go into your phone's photo library and slowly scroll. Notice the faces speaking of blessings in your life. Consider the places where you have felt love and found beauty. Spend a moment thanking God for something specific you see there.
2. What are you currently facing or likely to face that you have no idea how to get through? What would you like to say to Jesus about that?
3. Find a passage of scripture that speaks to God’s power over something you are experiencing that can serve as an altar of remembrance and celebration.