Powerless

BE POWERLESS BEFORE CHRIST. IT MAKES THE WALLS OF JERICHO COME DOWN!
Being in a powerless position makes you feel weak, vulnerable, unable to change anything about your situation and it often makes you deeply depressed.

But in the strange ways of God, these emotions can become the most powerful position on earth. Just ask General Joshua, from the book in the Old Testament that bears his name, about this truth!

In Joshua 5, beginning with verse 13, Joshua is in what may be the most intimidating, fearful situation of his life. He has bravely led God's people into Canaan, only to be confronted with the massive walled city of Jericho, distressing God's people as an apparently impossible obstacle between them and the land that God has promised them. As their commanding general, Joshua went to explore the details of this humanly impossible commission.

The Bible says: "Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, 'Are you for us or for our enemies?' 'Neither,' he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.' Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence and he asked him: 'What message does my Lord have for his servant?' The commander of the Lord's army replied, 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.' And Joshua did so."

This Commander of the Lord's forces is the eternal Son of God making one of his Old Testament appearances. No angel would have accepted worship, and Joshua calls him "my Lord." And Joshua falls on the ground, facedown, before him.

Joshua was competent, successful, skilled and brave. A man who never surrendered to anybody. But on this day he surrendered, and his surrender was going to be the reason for winning one of the most amazing battles of his career. From this moment of total surrender, of total powerlessness before the Lord, comes God's unusual plan for conquering Jericho. Before there could be the defeat of Jericho, there had to be the surrender of Joshua.

And before there can be the conquest of the challenges that emerge before you right now,there must be the conquest of you.

God sometimes allows things into our lives that will bring us to the end of ourselves; where all our experience, our talents and our connections are useless in finding a solution. God may have brought you to a moment of powerlessness, not that you would give up, but so that you would unconditionally give over the control to him! There is no condition God can do more with, than our complete dependence on him. When you and your inabilities, your human weaknesses, are out of the way finally, you are able to see what miracles the almighty God can do! Only when you surrender to Jesus, will you see what our all powerful Lord can do for you – and through you, for his church and for his Kingdom!

Do not hesitate to lie face down before Christ! When you are at the end of yourself, you are at the beginning of his all-powerfulness. Surrendering to the almighty Christ, is the Christian’s way of winning. Complete surrender to Christ is the most forceful position in the world.