An exodus out of Egypt, a dramatic crossing of the Red Sea, forty years of wandering, leading the people across the Jordan River into the Promised Land – finally Joshua’s wait was over. However, standing between him and a new life in Canaan was the walled city of Jericho.
One afternoon, the Lord paid Joshua a special visit. Dressed in uniform, He introduced Himself as Commander of the Lord’s Army, and He came with special instructions for victory. But before He revealed the strategy to Joshua, the Lord first asks Joshua to see something – “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands.”
Wait a second. Isn’t the Lord counting the chickens before they hatch? Isn’t this a bit of overconfidence? Does the Lord actually want or expect Joshua to see something that hasn’t come to fruition? Is that even something that Joshua can do? And if it is, how does one even do this?
What God is asking Joshua to see is victory. It’s as if he’s saying, “Don’t look at the obstacles – the walled city and the impending battle, look at the victory. It is not a victory that you will achieve by your own means. It is a victory I have already achieved. I’m giving the city to you.” It reminds me of an old hymn – “Faith is the victory that overcomes the world.”
In Hebrews 11 we read, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see… and without faith it is impossible to please God.”
Last week we talked about the power of our minds and how we can surrender to God by inviting Him into our senses, thoughts, and imaginations. We saw how powerful it can be to not only pray vocally but to picture ourselves in His presence. Let me suggest to you that when you do that, you are committing an act of faith.
Faith doesn’t merely mean that you have to say, “Ok God, I can’t possibly imagine this, but I’ll do it.” Nor does faith necessarily mean that you say “yes” to God without any planning. In Joshua’s case, God asks Joshua to participate in this vision with Him. “Joshua, see what I’m going to do. See that it’s already done. Now, here’s the plan. Here’s how we’re going to do it. Here’s how the temporal is going to line up with the eternal.” For Joshua, faith meant participating with God in eternity through vision, planning, and obedient execution.
In 2 Kings 6, we read of Elisha and his servant surrounded by the Arameans. When Elisha’s servant became afraid, Elisha said, “Don’t be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed that the servant’s eyes would be opened, and suddenly the servant saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha.
Hebrews 11:1 said that “faith is confidence.” If faith is confidence, then we are asked to be confident. How can we be confident? Well, we sure can’t be confident if we’re staring at the surrounding armies or the walled city. We can’t be confident when we’re staring at the giant monster of a problem. Peter looked at the wind and waves, and the realization of reality (that human beings are not buoyant) caused him to sink.
So if looking at reality caused Peter to sink, then what caused Peter to successfully take those few steps toward Jesus atop the water? He saw Jesus, and he heard Jesus invite him to get out of the boat and come to him.
Brothers and sisters, you can see now how vital it is to see and hear God. Our reality, what we perceive with our external senses is so incomplete. There is another realm – not just in heaven – but all around us. Faith means seeing and participating in that realm. Brother Lawrence called it “practicing the presence of God.” I call it “letting God show your brain what your eyes can’t see.” In time what happens is that we become like Elisha. Our eyes catch up to our brain. We see with the eyes of our heart. We see the realm of God, and in turn, we run with confidence.
Now you can see why the writer of Hebrews follows up a chapter about faith with these words from Hebrews 12:1-2. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”