"Progress Isn't Always Obvious"

11/8/2013

I just finished listening to a sermon about Joshua and the walls of Jericho.  I have heard this story since I could walk into Sunday School.  You probably know the story too; Joshua and his army walk around Jericho for seven days and the seventh day, the walls fall. 

The preacher had an interesting insight into this story.  If you read Joshua 6, God tells Joshua that his people need to walk around the walls for six days.  Then, on the seventh day they will walk around seven times and blow their trumpets and the walls will fall.  The part that I found interesting is that Joshua NEVER told his army that they were only doing this for seven days.  His army walked around Jericho never knowing when the end was in sight.  They walked by faith, not knowing when their walking would end. 

How do I apply this to my life?  I feel at times that I am walking, and walking, and walking, but getting no where.  It's like life is playing a trick on me and I'm think I'm getting closer (to increasing our family), but I'm on a treadmill and I'm not actually any closer than I was one year ago.  BUT, the thing that I have to remember is that if I give up, I will never see the end.  People have asked me, how many times I am going to go through a miscarriage before I can't take it anymore.  I guess I feel like the people in Joshua's army, I don't know at what point God is going to change things for me, but if I stop now, then it won't happen.  I have no idea how far along this journey I am.  Am I on day 6?  Maybe I'm moving in to day 7.  It sure feels like I'm all the way back at Day one.  But, progress isn't always obvious.  The pastor said that if the army would have stopped on day 6 and said, that's it, nothing has happened up till now its time to give up, the walls of Jericho would never have fallen. 

How close are you to your promise?  Don't give up!  "Don't Stop On Six"



http://elevationchurch.org/sermons/dont-stop-on-6