Deliverance

My small group discussed the Jericho story last week.

It's a pretty awesome story, to say the least. It's pretty
awesome that God asks Joshua to defeat Jericho by simply
walking around the city a bunch of times.

But the part that stood out to me the most is actually before
all this happens, when the Lord points at unconquered Jericho
and says to Joshua, "See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands,
along with its King and fighting men." (Joshua 6: 2)

I wonder what Joshua thought. What do mean You have
delivered it into my hands? You haven't done anything yet.

God basically told Joshua to believe in victory, before He tangibly
possessed it.

God asked Joshua to look at Jericho through the eyes of faith,
to look straight at the mountain and tell it to move.

And He asked him not to dwell on the circumstances
of the Israelites situation, but only on God's power to give victory.

It makes me wonder how often we settle for defeat,
by looking at a Jericho in our lives and not expecting
it to fall. This seems silly in light of God's power and
grace. He is the deliverer in all things, and He promises
us victory.

Two weeks ago, my small group members each shared personal
strongholds, under the premise that we were going to pray
against the strongholds and believe God for victory.

One girl in my group broke down. She has been struggling
with bulimia for 7 years and goes to counseling every week.
But nothing had changed.

She told the group about 5 months ago, but said she didn't want
to talk about it.

This was the first night she really opened up.

Today, I had coffee with her, and she told me through tears
that it's been the first time in 3 years that she has gone two weeks
without forcing herself to throw up.

PRAISE GOD!

She believes that God has just begun the healing in her life
through prayer and faith.

The reminder it gave me is simple.

Let's believe that God heals. Let's not doubt His power
to free us of the deepest strongholds and deceptions.

Because He has already granted us victory, but most often,
like in all the healings that Jesus performed during his ministry,
we have to want to be well, believe that it is granted to us,
and then let God handle the rest.

We were never made for defeat. Let's not settle for it.

In all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him
who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future
nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else
in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
--Romans 8