My kindergarten/preschool students in the Sutherlin, Ore., Adventist School just got through marching around the “Walls of Jericho.”
They did it six silent times, then shouted. It’s a great Bible story we adults often regard as childish.
But as my kids marched those seven days, I began wondering what must have been going through the minds of the original marchers.
They were on the borders of Canaan. They had spent four decades in the wilderness, where their faith had often failed. There were still giants in the land. But the Israelites marched anyway. Why?
Because they had been schooled for 40 years in the power of their God. He had always been there, even when they failed.
Modern-day Israel
We are modern-day Israel, marching and waiting to enter the Promised Land. There are giants in our land, playing for the hearts and minds of our children.
Like Israel of old, we must stand before the world and pledge, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
God had saved the Israelite children at Passover, by the blood of the lamb. And during their desert walk, He fed them daily and even preserved the fabric of their clothes.
They left Egypt as spiritual infants. God took them away from worldly influences to claim their undivided attention.
And when He brought them to the edge of Canaan, He reminded them to live as a separate, peculiar people. In Deuteronomy 6:6-9, He tells them to teach their children diligently, if they expect to keep His blessing.
My Son, Lantz
A few months ago, we faced our own Wall of Jericho. Our oldest son, Lantz, was seven and ready to go to school. As a certified teacher, I had intended to home school our three children, but God called me instead to teach (for a small stipend) Kindergarten/Preschool at our school.
We had no money set aside to pay for Lantz’s enrollment. So we prayed, and the Lord helped us sell our 1963, tin-can-silver Chevy pickup for exactly the amount we needed. We had thought the pickup was worthless. But someone wanted it just when we needed the money.
We have faced the hardest challenges of our personal lives this year. Beware what happens when you stand for the Lord! The devil learns your name and he doesn’t like it.
My husband, Rex, lost his job in January, and with it our stable income. We had no idea how we were going to manage, and some days, we still don’t. But God always does. Today, we are more debt-free than we were in January. Our bills are paid, and there’s always something in the cupboard.
Satan rejoices that the economy has hit us all hard. For he wants us to dwell on the everyday walls and giants in life.
But we are God’s children. He loves us all and wants the best for us and our little ones. And all we need to do is march, pray, and obey, and the angel of the Lord will push down the walls.
We live in serious times, but we are all family. Let’s put our lambs in the middle and circle them with love. They are our future. They are God’s last army. They deserve the best, and the best we can offer is a Christ-centered education.
Let’s step out in faith, give our children to the Lord, and watch what He has in store for us. I don’t know what the challenges will be for you, but I know they will be the hardest you’ve ever faced.
I can also tell you that the blessings will be poured out in such measure that you will not be able to contain them. Keep a journal to remind you of the blessings when you are knee-deep in trials.
We are living in the closing moments of history. Economic walls can blare so loudly, some are tempted to let our trumpets fall.
Remember, as we prepare for the Promised Land, we can trust God to tear down any wall that stands in the way of preparing our lambs for their heavenly fold.
God may test our faith; we may have to circle the walls five, six, or seven times before giving the trumpet its certain sound. But the walls will fall, if our faith stands firm. •
