Faith to Conquer and Convert. Joshua 2:8-14; 6:2-5, 22-25

NEMA Month of Missions Devotional

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

John Gardner wrote, “We are faced with a series of great opportunities—brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.” What disguised opportunities do you face today?

The first disguised opportunity Joshua, Israel’s leader, faced after the wilderness experience was to conquer the fortified city of Jericho. God gave Joshua the plan for victory. By faith in the One who spoke, the walls of Jericho crumbled. Meanwhile, inside the city, a prostitute had a huge disguised opportunity. She had heard of how God had miraculously delivered this people from Egypt and other great victories He gave them (Joshua 2:9-13). By faith, she and her family did not perish when her city was destroyed. “God conquers our powerful enemies by faith and converts hopeless sinners by faith.”

Marching an army around a walled city for seven days while blowing trumpets is not a sensible plan for victory! It must have seemed silly to many in Israel and to everyone inside Jericho. Often our problem is not that we are too weak, but that we think that we are strong in ourselves. Because we’re so prone to pride, if God granted us victory, we would take at least some of the credit for ourselves. So God’s plan for victory humbles our pride by accentuating His power and our weakness. God wants the whole world saved, and His means for this victory always involves faith, because faith acknowledges our inability and God’s total ability. Faith in God humbles our pride and exalts God’s glory.

Faith and obedience are inseparable, just as unbelief and disobedience go together. Genuine faith always obeys God, and to obey God, we must know what His word says. How does God speak to us today? He “has spoken to us in His Son” (Heb. 1:2), and the sum of His word to us is recorded in the Bible. The knowledge of God’s word must be followed by obedience, no matter how much it goes against conventional wisdom (Isa. 55:8).

While Israel was marching around Jericho that week, another drama was taking place inside one house in the city. A prostitute named Rahab was crowded into her house with her extended family, waiting anxiously to see what would happen. Her story is a wonderful exhibit of God’s grace! It shows us that God converts hopeless sinners by faith (Heb. 11:31), and there is a measure of this in every man.

There are great opportunities to reaching the nations disguised as insoluble problems (such as insecurity, persecution, lack of access and resources, etc.). God have all we need to overcome these problems and to maximise these opportunities. Let’s trust Him. Let us brace up like Joshua and his army and respond promptly and fully to our Lord’s instruction (Matt 28:18-20).

Prayer Focus: Lord, help me see the opportunities you have placed around me to bring those who are lost to you.

Rev David Kanda,

National Chairman, Nigeria Evangelical Missions Association

Prayer Alert, Wednesday, February 1

Thank God for the gift of life and for bringing us into another quarter of intercession for the nations. Thank the Lord for bringing us to witness the NEMA’s Month of Missions 2023 wherein we give emphasis of time, prayers and financial resources to the work of cross-cultural missions. Pray that as we observe this special event, the Lord will cause His church and every believer to obey and act. Ask the Lord also to renew our strength and release fresh grace upon us as we intercede again in this quarter.