On the Lord’s Side

 On the Lord’s Side

December 11, 2024

Joshua 5:13-15 (NASB95) 

13 Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” 14 He said, “No; rather I indeedcome now as captain of the host of the LORD.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, “What has my lord to say to his servant?” 15 The captain of the LORD’S host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

When you turn on the news, it seems like there is a new war somewhere every day. And from time immemorial, nations have gone to war and always asking their gods to be on their side. Even Joshua initially asked “Are you for us or for our adversaries?” But the Lord’s messenger quickly straightened him out, saying “No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD.” Joshua’s response was correct in that he bowed down, removed his shoes and worshiped the Lord.

Abraham Lincoln said something similar at the height of the Civil War. I may not remember the details exactly correctly, but it seems that someone asked him if the Lord was on our side. Lincoln answered the the effect, that we need to pray that we are on the Lord’s side. Oh that all the national and military leaders today would ask the same question and listen to the Lord of peace.

In our own personal lives, do we ask the same? Do we ask the Lord to be on our side, or do we seek His will and strive to be on His side? A lot of personal strife could be avoided if people would ask to be on the Lord’s side. The Lord is on the side of peace, forgiveness and reconciliation. When there are irreconcilable differences, it is because one side is not willing to forgive and make peace.

But back to Joshua. What was the result of Joshua deciding to be on the Lord’s side. Well the very next battle was the battle of Jericho and you all remember what a great victory that was. The walls came down, not with siege ramps and battering ramps, but with a blast of the trumpet and a great shout from all the people. The Lord had a better battle plan than anything that Joshua could have imagined himself. So in your own life, when things seem impossible, seek to be on the Lord’s side and worship HIm. His battle plan is better than our own and will win the victory in ways that we can not even imagine.