PATIENCE IN TIMES OF VULNERABILITY

PATIENCE IN TIMES OF VULNERABILITY

Have you ever been primed and ready for action and then been forced to stop - and REST!!!  It feels so counter-intuitive, but there are times when this is absolutely the right thing to do.  

Joshua 5:8 "After all the males had been circumcised, they rested in the camp until they were healed." 

This was a critical time for Joshua and all those he was leading. 

Flush from the miracle of crossing over a dry riverbed that was ordinarily in flood, and knowing that their enemies were shaking with fear, they were ready for the next miracle.

Instead, they got some pain as they took the time to be circumcised.  There is a whole other message right there, but suffice to say here, this meant that instead of pressing forward in their great quest, they were forced to take time out and rest.  

Then we come to Joshua himself in verses 13-15  

"When Joshua was near the town of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and demanded, “Are you friend or foe?” “Neither one,” he replied. “I am the commander of the Lord’s army.” At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?” The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did as he was told."

Joshua was under the pump.  He was in charge and needed to know his next steps.  Finally, he meets The Man Himself, ... "Yes! Now I will know what to do".

Before he got his instructions, he was told to take off his shoes.  I love this thought. I heard it many years ago from Dr Lois Burkett when she talked about the time Moses was at the burning bush.  The truth of this has stayed with me ever since, and I want to share it here.

Joshua was a commander, poised and ready to lead his people in battle.  The land where he was was rough, quite possibly with dangerous critters and rocks.  Taking off your shoes means you cannot confidently or quickly move on that rough ground.  In taking off his shoes, he was acknowledging God's holiness and authority and his own vulnerability and humanity.

There is a place in our lives that is deeply personal and is between our Lord alone and us. That place of prayer is a place where we can and should 'take off our shoes', be absolutely at home with the idea that we are vulnerable, that He is Sovereign and holy, and therefore in charge of what is happening.  

Then when we come to take our place of service and leadership, we put those shoes back on and walk confidently forward into the plan and purpose that He has given.

Joshua and his people stood in an absolutely critical juncture - it seemed, as I said, counter-intuitive to take time out to rest, to be vulnerable. But in doing this, they perfectly positioned themselves for what was to come.

May we also learn to take the time to rest and heal when we need to, and also be at home with our own vulnerability in the presence of a Holy and Almighty God.