Silent Battles

The Israelites have been wandering in the desert for 40 years, Moses has died and now Joshua is leading the people. As we reach Joshua 2, Joshua is sending two spies to look over the land but especially Jericho. It's not all that different from Moses's entrance plan - except for one key detail, my bible says that he sent them secretly. He didn't take a poll, didn't wait to see what the popular opinion was, he didn't even give everyone a chance to have an opinion, Joshua just tells them to go. The last time they sent a group, but this time he is only sending two spies. This isn't a pleasure trip anymore, he's preparing for war, he's going on the offensive.

I think it's intriguing that the bible says he sent them secretly- he was in charge, in the last chapter it was just saying that if anyone disobeyed his orders they would be put to death so he didn't need to send them secretly but he chooses to. 

Not everyone needs to know what's going on, or what we are planning, the easiest way to kill something is in its infancy when it needs to be protected and guarded. So often we allow people into positions they don't belong in instead of drawing close to the Lord and letting Him water what He's already planted in our hearts. We need to be a little more careful about who we allow in our corners to see behind the curtain and witness the little beginnings, so we don't mistake their voices for His. Sometimes our friends are good to us, but they aren't good for us, and they end up hindering everything that God is trying to do. 

There are times when we must fight the battles we face silently, in the dead of night with only the Lord by our side, moments when we must prepare quietly for the birth of something new before it is ready to face the world. The truth is you don't need their input, or their approval, there is only one voice you need to listen to. And when you have so many voices talking to you, telling you what to do and what they think the Lord will do, it can be hard to discern His voice amongst the noise. 

Often it is the unexpected opposition, that brings you to your knees. You expect it from the enemy but when it in your own camp, from your own friends, from your family it can crumble everything that has been taking form. Perhaps this is why Joshua sent them secretly. Maybe he knew if he sent them openly and the people heard a report that they didn't like they would refuse to follow God it to the promised land like their parents had. So he sends spies ahead secretly, to go look over the land and report back to him.

It's funny how the people the closest to us, the ones that know us the best can be the same ones that scoff at what God is doing in our lives. "You can't do that you're too young," "You can't do that you are too old," "Why would He call you to this place?" "You have no experience," Like flames, these words eat away at everything that you've been building turning them to ashes in our hands until we begin to believe these words. 

The spies return to Joshua in verse 23 and deliver their report which perfectly illustrates why we must be careful about who is in our corner, "The Lord has given us this whole land" they could have come back and told him he was crazy, that it was going to be too hard, that it meant fighting, that there were walls that had to come down but they don't, instead they reaffirm what the Lord has already promised. Right now they may not be able to see what exactly God is doing, they can't see how He is going to provide yet- but they know He is going to.

Make sure the people who you allow to walk with you in the silent battles are the ones that will hold your arms up when they grow weary, the ones that will declare what the Lord has already spoken even if it doesn't make sense when you are too tired to do so. We need people who will fight silently beside us and encourage us when we begin to falter. Yes you are going to have to fight this battle, yes there are giants you are going to have to slay but the Lord has given you this land. This place you don't think you'll conquer, this marriage, this relationship, this journey may not be easy, and you may feel like you have been wandering in the wilderness for so long, but this land has already been given to you by the God who opens doors no one can open and shuts doors that no one can shut and He will not fail you or abandon you (Joshua 1:5).

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