Thought for September 16

 History:

  • 1620: Mayflower departs Plymouth with 102 Pilgrims
  • 1630: Village of Shawmut changes its name to Boston
  • 1782: Great Seal of the US used for the first time
  • 1830: Oliver Wendell Holmes writes "Old Ironsides"
  • 1848: Slavery abolished in French territories
  • 1869: First recorded hole in one--Tom Morris Sr. at Prestwick
  • 1919: American Legion incorporated by act of Congress
  • 1920: Wall Street Bombing--38 killed, 143 injured
  • 1928; Hurricane hits West Palm Beach--3,000 die
  • 1953: The Robe premiers--1st movie in Cinemascope
  • 1960: Amos Alonzo Stagg retires as coach--age 98
  • 1963: "The Outer Limits" premiers
  • 1976: American Episcopal Church approves ordination of women as priests and bishops
  • 1993: "Frasier" premiers
  • 1996: "Judge Judy" premiers
  • Born: Charles Crocker [Central Pacific Railroad], JC Penney, W.O. Bentley [automobiles], Allen Funt [Candid Camera], Lauren Bacall, BB King, Robert Schuller, Peter Falk, Anne Francis, Elgin Baylor, Rosemary Casals, Mickey Rourke, David Copperfield, Orel Hershiser, Amy Poehler, Nick Jonas, 
  • Died: William Penn, Daniel Fahrenheit, Maria Callas, Willie Mosconi, Gordon Gould [invented laser], Mary Travers, Edward Albee, 
Thought:
Thinking about Joshua 5:13-14 today. This passage is underlined in my Bible as a reminder to me of one of the great truths of the Lord. You recall the story. The conquest of Jericho is at hand. God has led the people across the Jordan and now the fortified city of Jericho stands before them. Joshua meets a man with a drawn sword in his hand, so Joshua asks"Are you for us or for our adversaries?" Sometimes when I look around at the circumstances and see the evil prosper or the righteous seem to be defeated, I ask God where are You--are You really for us? If You are for us, why do our enemies seem to be winning? I want to know whose side are You on, God. 

You may have had that experience with friends or family. There is a situation and your friend or relative gives you some advice or makes a point and you ask, whose side are you on. What you are saying or advising doesn't seem like you are taking my side of the argument or my side of the disagreement. We question the loyalty or intentions of a person because they don't seem to be standing up for us. And sometimes the answer is that the friend or relative wants to be on the Right side, not our side, and their advice or counsel or question is intended to point out to us that maybe we are wrong. 

Look at the response of the man/angel. "No, rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the Lord." Are you for us or against us--no. What a profound answer! No. It is not a matter of whether I am for you or against you for I am the captain of the host of the Lord. What the angel really says is, Joshua, you have asked the wrong question. I am on the Lord's side. I take my orders from Him. Joshua, you should be asking whose side are you [Joshua] on? Joshua, are you on the Lord's side? This really hits me. Instead of me asking the Lord to get on my side, I should be seeking to be on His side, for He is the Lord, the Master, God. And if I get on His side, I am on the winning side. Makes me think about Blackaby's instruction to see where the Lord is working and join Him there.

Joshua responds absolutely correctly--if you are a messenger of the Lord, I fall on my face and ask for instructions from the Commander of the Army. What does my Lord command. Reminds me that when I start wondering what God is doing, I should fall on my face and ask Him, what is Your command. My desire is not to have God come on my side but to make sure that I am on His side. So every time I hear someone say, the Lord is on our side, I stop and ask, but are you on His side. 

When we were saved, we became soldiers of the cross. We march at the Commander's orders, we stop at His command. We war against His enemies. We use the weapons He has issued. Lord, help me constantly check to make sure I am on Your side.

Blessings
Larry

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