Rest For A Weary Soul Daily Devotionals

Rest For A Weary Soul Daily Devotional - Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Praise the Lord and Good Evening,

I heard something today on the news that just baffled me.....a woman was driving on a local Pittsburgh highway in rush hour traffic.  It was snowing and the roads were wet and passable (from what I saw on the news) as snow continued to fall.  For some reason, she became fearful of driving in the snow and decided to stop (on the highway in traffic) and read a book!  This is no lie....and traffic was backed up for at least a mile or more. 

Now I don't know how she was able to rationalize in her mind that reading a book would solve her problem of being fearful and driving in the snow.  I don't understand how she could think that no one else would be impacted by what she did....but it did impact others, in a negative manner.   How could she not realize that it was not the time to be reading a book...Her actions caused a traffic jam!  Why didn't she pull out of traffic?  Why cause others to be stalled behind her......

I thought about the Israelites....they'd just come off of the win at Jericho and was in battle at Ai.....they lost the battle and Joshua didn't understand why.  He asked God about it and it came out that sin was in the camp.  A man by the name of Achan disobeyed the commandment not to take anything.  He was the hold up.....they had to get rid of Achan before progress could be made.  They killed Achan and went back to war and sure enough, the Israelites won the fight.

Just as the woman was the culprit for the massive traffic jam.....a needless delay.....sometimes we are impacted by the actions of others.  Sometimes we're Jonah in the situation and others times we're innocent bystanders impacted with a Jonah on board.  Nothing was able to move ahead until that woman got out of the way. 

The enemy of our souls doesn't care what he uses to try and hold up the saints progress.....but with the Lord's help, the problem will be removed and progress will occur.  I thank the Lord for this little illustration because it reminds me just how much the enemy will use anything (even strange thinking) to try and block God's progress.....but the Lord will never allow the enemy to destroy His planned progress......things will move forward.  God's purpose will go forward....you may be in delay mode, but if God said you're moving....you're moving.  The Israelites were in their destiny.....they had come to the place where they were positioned to win and nothing would stop that.....You might have to sit for a while, but trust the Lord that He is working even at the time when it appears the enemy is winning.....that woman held up traffic for a while, but eventually, it was revealed what the hold up was....and traffic moved forward.

Jonah should have known God was right there and even that dumb move of trying to run from God wouldn't work.  Achan should have known that God wouldn't allow his selfish actions to derail God's plans for Israel.  So too with you and I.....God is serious about getting those who want possess His promises.........I am encouraged to know God will reveal what and/or who the hold up is,,,and better than that He will remove it/them and what is supposed to flow, will flow, even if it's traffic.

And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 21) When I saw among the spoils a goodly babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.  25) And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? The Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.   (Joshua 7:20-21 and 25 KJV)

And the Lord said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed; take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people and his city, and his land. (Joshua 8:1 KJV)