PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN (Conviction): Father, today I’m convicted in my heart to confess something to You. I have been harboring a lot of negativity towards my earthly dad. I don’t even know anymore how much of it is true or even why I feel so much hatred towards him at this point. He hasn’t been in my life for about 30 years, yet now all of a sudden, I’m supposed to just drop everything I’m doing in my life and reconcile things with him? Forgive me for holding onto all of this negativity towards him for so long. Help me come to peace in this whole situation with my earthly dad, please. Help me to embrace Your love and Your peace in my heart, Father, so that these old wounds can be mended and there can at least be a chance for some type of reconciliation between me and my earthly dad.
PROMISE (verses 2, 20-21): Your decades-long promise has come to fruition. You have given Your people victory over Jericho and possession of the promised land which You had promised their ancestors would come to fulfillment for Your people when they are ready for it. Thank You for always knowing the right timing for Your promises, Father. Thank You for always fulfilling Your promises according to Your will, Father.
ATTITUDE (Conviction): Father, I do not know why You are blessing me so much and showing me so much favor, especially recently. My whole military retirement situation, employment situations, family restoration…all of that is because of You, not me. I am so grateful for all of it, of course, but also so humbled and confused because I do not feel worthy of any of this. Help me to truly embrace a heart of humility, Father. I do not ever want to sound like I’m bragging. I want to be able to share the testimony You have given me with all who will listen, but in a way that is inspiring to them and leads them to devote even more of themselves to You. Help me to truly embrace and live in this attitude of humility throughout all that I am, Father, so that You are glorified and not me.
COMMAND (verse 10): This is a very odd command, especially when it comes to wartime situations and the impact they’d want to try to make in this moment. You told Your people that while they are marching around the town for the first several days to remain silent. There will come a time for shouting, but for now they must remain silent. They would march a total of 13 times around Jericho and were not allowed to say a word while marching until just after that last one was complete. At that point all 40,000+ men were told to shout while the trumpets blast at the same time! This is when the walls came down. I see this as a command of patience and obedience. Obedience simply because the Lord told them to do something, so they better do it. Patience, because the Lord told them to simply march around the city for a few days in silence and do nothing else. Being military for 20+ years, I couldn’t imagine being given an order to simply march around the enemy’s gates for a week in silence, but with them knowing that I’m there. Your people remained faithful and obedient, however, as they did exactly what You told them to do. As a result, Your greatest prize and promise was given to them as the walls came down after the marching for the week was complete and they were victorious in battle. This reminds me that sometimes I just need to patiently sit back, following Your will for my life, until You feel I am ready for the next step which could be minutes or could be years. Help me with my patience as well, Father.
EXAMPLE (verse 25): I do love how Your leaders in this scripture were men of their word. Rahab, a prostitute, helped conceal two men who Joshua had sent into the town to gather some information. These men, without consulting Joshua, promised her that she would be kept safe and anyone she brought into her household would remain protected when they obliterate the town she lived in. Joshua stood by his men 100% and honored this promise made to Rahab. They were identified, evacuated, and put into their protection for the entire time of battle after the walls had fallen. How amazing in that?! A testimony to keeping promises; even keeping promises that aren’t your own if they are the right thing to do under Your eyes, Father. Thank You for this amazing example today!
*DAILY NOTE: I’ve been struggling quite a bit on the topic of my relationship with my earthly dad. I know I need to reconcile things in my heart with him, but I find myself resisting this so much every day. I know it’s one step at a time, but You know how bad I like to be in control of everything. Help me take this slowly, Father, but at the same time help me to glorify You through this reconciliation, if it happens. Thank You for today’s conversation, Father. Although some of what I journaled today was not directly from the scripture, it is what was weighing on my heart at this moment and I wanted to communicate that to You the best way I know how—through my quiet times. Thank You for always listening to me, Father, even if sometimes it is just me complaining, whining, or just needing to put my emotions to words. Today it seemed I really just needed to get out some of my emotions in general so that I can lean on You even more through things in this life. Thank You for always being there for me, Father.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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