In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world-John 16:33.
If the revelation made to Joshua and his host be for us as truly as for them
a revelation of who is our true leader, surely all of us in our various
degrees, and especially any of us who have any "Quixotic crusade" for the
world's good on our consciences and on our hands, may take the lessons and
the encouragements that are here.
Own your Leader. That is one plain duty. And recognize this fact, that by no
other power than by His, and with no other weapons than those which He puts
into our hands, in His Cross and meekness, can a world's evils be overcome,
and the victory be won for the right and the truth. I have no faith in
crusades which are not under the Captain of our salvation. And I wish that
the earnest men, and there are many of them-the laborious and the
self-sacrificing men in many departments of philanthropy and benevolence and
social reformation-who labor unaware of who is their Leader, and not
dependent upon His help, nor trusting in His strength-would see beside them
the Man with the drawn sword in His hand [Josh. 5:13], the Christ with the
sharp two-edged sword [Heb. 4:12] going out of His mouth, by whom, and by
whom alone, the world's evil can be overcome and slain.
Own your General; submit to His authority; pick the weapons that He can
bless; trust absolutely in His help. We may have, we shall have, in all
enterprises for God and man that are worth doing, need of patience, just as
the army of Israel had to parade for six weary days around Jericho blowing
their useless trumpets, while the impregnable walls stood firm, and the
defenders flouted and jeered their aimless procession. But the seventh day
will come, and at the trumpet blast down will go the loftiest ramparts of
the cities that are walled up to heaven, with a rush and a crash, and
through the dust and over the ruined rubbish Christ's soldiers will march
and take possession. So trust in your Leader, and be sure of the victory,
and have patience and keep on at your work. Do not make Joshua's mistake.
"Art Thou for us?"-Nay! "Thou art for Me." That is a very different thing,
We have the right to be sure that God is on our side, when we have made sure
that we are on God's. So take care of self-will and self-regard, and human
passions, and all the other parasitical insects that creep around
philanthropic religious work, lest they spoil your service. There is a great
deal that calls itself after Jehu's fashion, "My zeal for the Lord" [2 Kgs.
10:16], which is nothing better than zeal for my own notions and their
preponderance. Therefore we must strip ourselves of all that, and not fancy
that the cause is ours, and then graciously admit Christ to help us, but
recognize that it is His, and lowly submit ourselves to His direction, and
what we do, do, and when we fight, fight, in His name and for His sake.
In Celebration of Life in Him,
Dr.Jim DeBruhl, gembeaux@bellsouth.net
" Everything is wrong until God makes it right."
