Spend some time reading Joshua 6:
Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”
So Joshua called together the priests and said, “Take up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram’s horn.” Then he gave orders to the people: “March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the Lord.”
After Joshua spoke to the people, the seven priests with the rams’ horns started marching in the presence of the Lord, blowing the horns as they marched. And the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant followed behind them. Some of the armed men marched in front of the priests with the horns and some behind the Ark, with the priests continually blowing the horns. “Do not shout; do not even talk,” Joshua commanded. “Not a single word from any of you until I tell you to shout. Then shout!” So the Ark of the Lord was carried around the town once that day, and then everyone returned to spend the night in the camp.
Joshua got up early the next morning, and the priests again carried the Ark of the Lord. The seven priests with the rams’ horns marched in front of the Ark of the Lord, blowing their horns. Again the armed men marched both in front of the priests with the horns and behind the Ark of the Lord. All this time the priests were blowing their horns. On the second day they again marched around the town once and returned to the camp. They followed this pattern for six days.
On the seventh day the Israelites got up at dawn and marched around the town as they had done before. But this time they went around the town seven times. The seventh time around, as the priests sounded the long blast on their horns, Joshua commanded the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the town! Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies.
“Do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp of Israel. Everything made from silver, gold, bronze, or iron is sacred to the Lord and must be brought into his treasury.”
When the people heard the sound of the rams’ horns, they shouted as loud as they could. Suddenly, the walls of Jericho collapsed, and the Israelites charged straight into the town and captured it. They completely destroyed everything in it with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys.
We build walls for two main purposes – To keep things out or to keep things in. Similarly, we can build such ‘walls’ in our own lives.
Have you built a wall around yourself to keep people out? Is the purpose of your wall made for self-defence because you are afraid of getting hurt again? Do you guard your wall and refuse people entry into your life because you find it hard to trust?
Or perhaps your wall is built to keep things concealed? To keep things locked tightly inside? Are you afraid to truly be yourself? Do you fear people seeing the real you? Are the inside of your walls decorated with self-doubt, low confidence, anxiety?
Whether you are keeping people out or keeping yourself hidden – for me I find I have a combination of the two – or perhaps your walls are based on something completely different, God can begin to break down the wall one brick at a time. Removing your ‘wall’ might not be as dramatic as the fall of Jericho but it is just as possible. By simply following God’s instructions and trusting His directions, overtime your Jericho will begin to crumble. God will give you the strength to endure the demolition of your walls- He will remove that pain and the hurt, and will fill you with renewed hope. He will open your eyes to see your true beauty and purpose, and give you the courage to share this with the world.
“By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.”
Hebrews 11:30
It may not be a quick fix, but find comfort in knowing God is with you every step of the way on the road to removing your walls. Joy and hope await you on the other side. Soon you’ll be celebrating like Joshua and the Israelites at the victory of Jericho!
God Bless! 🙂
Your Wall Will Fall
Your wall will come down,
it too can fall
if on God’s power
you willingly call.
Your wall will crumble,
it too can come apart
it you trust God
with all your soul and heart.
Your wall will topple,
it too can collapse
if you will give God
your circumstance.
Your wall will weaken,
it too can flatten out
if you give to God
all your fear and doubt.
Your wall will fall,
it too will be demolished
if you believe God . . .
anything can be accomplished!
Deborah Ann Belka
STEADFAST 