DEVOTION – DAY 237

Joshua 10:12-14 “The Day The Sun Stood Still”

 

Joshua 10:12-14 On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel:” O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” So, the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down for a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a man. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel.

 

As the nation of Israel led by Joshua began to occupy the Promised Land, they were met with opposition in the form of 5 Amorite kings. They had grouped together and with their combined armies marched to battle against Joshua and his army. The Lord assured Joshua that He was with him and they are not be afraid even though the advancing Amorite army seemed intimidating. Joshua and his army defeated the Amorite army with the help of the Lord who caused large hailstones to rain down on the Amorite army. In vv12-14, Joshua wanted to complete his victory against the Amorites by asking the Lord to stop the sun so that his men could pursue and defeat the retreating Amorites who had fled the battlefield. Joshua needed the daylight to seek out the retreating enemy forces. God granted Joshua’s request with His divine intervention. God used His authority over the elements by sending hailstones and halting the earth’s rotation so that the sun appeared to stand in the sky for a full day. Nothing was impossible for God.

 

The Bible has many examples of God’s miracles from the parting of the sea, the parting of the River Jordan, to causing fresh water to gush from solid rock, the complete destruction of the walls of Jericho. Today, miracles continue. They may be less spectacular but they are miracles nevertheless. We knew an Iranian woman who lived with her mother in Iran. They were secretly following some Christian broadcasts in Farsi on satellite TV. She desired to know God more and prayed that she could know God through His Word. But Iranian Bibles were largely destroyed when the Islamic Revolution took place in Iran. One day, this woman went to a local shopping center and after doing some shopping, she sat down at a bench. There on the bench, she discovered a Bible in Farsi. It was as if God had left it there for her. She had no idea how that Bible was on that bench but she hid the Bible in her bag and quickly took it home. That began her personal commitment to follow Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we worship you as the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent and Living God. Thank you for your miracles, big and small. Thank you for your ever presence in our lives. Please help us to be faithful and obedient to you. In the precious name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen.

 

Questions

  1. How might this passage encourage you to trust and obey God to do something “impossible” for you? Share.
  2. How has God in the past helped you out of an impossible situation?
  3. What can you learn about God from this passage?
  4. What was Joshua to do before he can expect God to do the impossible for him and what does that teach you about obedience?