For the joy He bestows

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to Him, “What does my lord say to His servant?”  Joshua 5:14b

And the Lord answered Joshua. He laid out the plan of marching and trumpets and shouting. Not the entire story, but the next step.

Who knows what ol’ Joshua was doing out in the desert by himself, overlooking the city of Jericho, planning, praying, watching. But he lifted up his head and saw the Commander of the LORD’s army and he fell on his face to the earth and worshipped.

And sometimes we need to act immediately. We know what to do, as in march up to a scary looking dude with a huge sword and ask him, “Are you for me or against me?” No hesitation because, well, we know what we are supposed to do… whatever is right and true and fearless. In love.

But there are moments to pause. To release the busy clutter and plots of my mind, and fall down on my face and worship. Then leap into the overflowing Jordan. To leap into being the fulfillment of a long-ago promise. Even if it seems to be somewhat of a detour or roundabout way to victory. Or flat-out crazy. Certainly humbling. It almost always looks like marching silently around a watching city.

To trust. And obey.

Tonight Alan and I are going to face a bunch of university students and tell them what trust and obey looks like. It looks like a lot of faces. And each one of them is Jesus. The least of these.

 “What does my lord say to His servant?”