In front of us
The people had been to the edge of the Promised Land before but they had failed to enter in. Now they were back and Joshua their new leader, was to bring them into something new. They faced new challenges and new strongholds at Jericho. Every year of our lives must have its challenges. We will meet situations that we have never met before. If we don’t, we aren’t possessing new territory but are just going in circles and repeating what we did yesterday in the wilderness.
Joshua didn’t recognise the Man in front of Him. (Joshua 5:13). He had never seen God appear like this before. God came to Joshua in a way he had never known before because he was going into a situation he had never faced before. God has a revelation for every new situation. The disciples already know He could make bread to feed 5000 people but that didn’t help Peter step out on the water from the boat. This is a new situation; they needed to see Jesus walk on water. Every time the disciples were challenged by a situation they had not been in before, they needed to know God in a new way. We never get to know God as the “Rock higher than I” until you’re in water up to your neck.
Joshua was entering into a new situation and that meant he needed to meet God in a new way. If our future is going to be new, then what we need from God will be new and how you need God to appear to you will be new too. What Joshua knew of God to this point wasn’t enough, for his next fight. The revelation it took to get to the Jordan is not sufficient to get into Jericho!.
Friends, if we don’t see and meet the Man in front of us, we will repeat last year. What we understand of God yesterday is not enough for today. More of Gods inheritance for us, is really just more of God. We need to see the Man in front of us. He’s not behind us or to the side of us, nor is he a long way off, He is in front of us. Lift up your eyes and see Him. Can you see Him this morning? He has instructions for your next battle.