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Thirteen times.
Can you imagine doing something 13 times before you see the result?
13 times of grilling a hot dog on the grill before it gets done.
13 times of turning on the TV before it actually turns on.
13 times of telling your kids to pick up their toys (ok, well maybe that one we can actually envision!)
13 times of turning your car's steering wheel to the left before it actually turns.
13 prayers to heaven
13 cries out to the Lord
Thirteen times.
The Israelites had to march around the city of Jericho 13 times before the wall fell and they took the city. I can just see poor Joshua if it were me and my family he was leading around the wall...
"Alright, seriously Joshua...are you SURE God said 13?"
"I'm hot...how many more laps?"
"Can I get wifi here while we walk?"
We are an impatient people.
We want immediate results.
We want easy access.
"I mean seriously God...you are the God of all right? You are almighty, all powerful...13 times? Couldn't you just rip the wall down in your might and power and save us the blisters on our feet?"
WHY DID GOD MAKE THEM WALK 13 TIMES?
That's the question I asked the kids today in our nightly devotional. Why didn't he just tear the wall down?
"To see if they would be faithful" said one of our children.
"So the people would see them" said another.
"I have no idea" said a third.
I love these responses!
Sometimes we don't understand God's plan.
We don't see the final outcome.
We don't know why we have to make the trek...
but maybe... just maybe.... it is because....
- He wants to see if we will be faithful.
or
- He wants others to see His glory through our path to the end.
or
- He just doesn't want to reveal the answer quite yet.
We ended our devo with the verse hanging on our kitchen:
Joshua 24:15
"As for me and my house we will serve the Lord!"
Even when we don't understand His ways,
His plan,
or His purpose...
WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!
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