Expect a Victory!

Based on Joshua 4-6, Luke 1:1-20

"...I'm gonna see a victory, for the battle belongs to You, Lord..."

That's part of a worship song we sing in church from time to time, and in reading Joshua today, complimented by Luke, I can truly picture the accuracy of these words! What a Wonderful Warrior our God is for us! If we let Him fight the battles, we can expect a victory! WE CAN CLAIM IT! Even when it looks impossible, God CAN and WILL make a way! Do we believe it!?

Since we can expect a victory, we can start celebrating beforehand...just the trumpets blown marching around the city of Jericho! Since God was going to fight for them, all they could do was a victory march!

"And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the Lord, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rearward came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets." Joshua 6:8‭-‬9.

There were still armed men, but they trusted God as the Greatest Warrior! They blew trumpets & celebrated as God instructed! He is still fighting our battles today, but sometimes we doubt. Sometimes we don't expect victory, we just hope for it...we end up speaking negativity, and we forget God can do what seems impossible...that's when God has to quiet us down, just like Zacharias! He didn't believe he & his wife could bear a son in their old age (although they know about Abe & Sarah!). This son did end up being born & grew up to be John the Baptist!

"And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season." Luke 1:18‭-‬20.

Zacharias should have celebrated at the glad tidings of the angel, but instead he spoke doubt! So, he was not able to speak until his son was born! And just as Zacharias was given a specific time to speak, the Israelites marching around Jericho were given a specific time to shout!

"And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city." Joshua 6:16.

We have to learn to expect the victory, celebrate & praise God in the process, but understand that the "shouting" comes only in God's timing. We do still have to be patient! Just because we know our God will see us through, does not mean we overstep the boundaries and live carelessly. We have to follow the plan the way God wants it done! We have to celebrate along the way, and shout when God gives the ok! Don't doubt; there WILL be a shout!!!