Who Is Leading?

Verse of the day: Joshua 5:14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”

We have an interesting interaction between Joshua and the Commander of the army of the LORD. Joshua’s reaction and actions toward this Commander is evidence that this is Jesus pre-incarnate. There are other instances in the Old Testament where He appears, such as Genesis 18:16-33; 32:24-30, and Judges 13:1-23. In instances where it is angels who appear to man, they reject man’s worship (Revelation 22:8-9). Joshua’s response to the LORD’s answer to his question is important in our walk with God today. The response He gives Joshua in verse 14 to his question in verse 13, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” does not seem to be the proper response. However, the answer was truly proper in that what was more important was that Joshua was for the LORD, and not the other way around. This is much of the problem today within the church and in the personal lives of Christians. We act as if God is supposed to be for us, and our plans, rather God being the One who is leading us in His will and plan for our lives. Proverbs 19:21 tells us, “There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand.” Proverbs 16:9 also tells us, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” What we often do is make our plans, then after we have made up our minds about what WE are going to do for the LORD, we pray about it and claim Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, out of context. What we should be doing is seeking God’s guidance first, asking Him what His plan is, and then prayerfully going forth to serve Him in the manner He dictates. The problem we have is that in order to live out God’s will and plan for our lives often takes us out of our comfort zone, and we would rather serve God while still living a comfortable life. We must be willing to serve God in whatever manner He calls us to, and go to wherever He sends us. God has given us His Spirit, who guides us in our daily lives, if we are willing to follow. As God’s children and servants, we should be serving God with the attitude expressed in Psalm 143:10, “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.” Joshua and the Israelite were about to encounter an impossible task, humanly speaking, when they arrive at Jericho. However, his choice to bow to the Commander’s (God’s) authority was the wisest move Joshua could make. If we are truly following the LORD, there will be opportunities to serve that are way beyond our own ability to accomplish them, for this reason we must let Him lead rather than us trying to take the lead. Sadly, what often happens when we choose to get ahead of God, and expect Him to bless our efforts, is that we end in claiming the glory for ourselves. Our walk and service should not be about us, it should be about God and His glory (John 3:30). The Apostle Paul’s encounter with Jesus is an excellent example of how we should respond to the LORD in our lives as His servants. In response to the Apostle’s realization that he was before the LORD, he asks this in Acts 9:6, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Until now, Saul had been serving God the way he thought was service to God, when he was actually working against, and opposing, God. We must take extra care to make sure that in our selfish efforts we not put ourselves in a position of actually hindering God’s will and plan for our lives. This is why it is so important that we seek God every day in prayer, the reading, studying, and applying of God’s Word to our lives. God, through His Spirit will guide us, give us wisdom, and give us victory over the obstacles the world and our enemies put before us when we are serving Him. Joshua and the Israelites experienced a great victory in an impossible situation because they obediently followed the LORD. Before we set out to serve God, we too should be asking, “What does the LORD say to His servant?”

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).