Daily Light - February 18, 2011

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"So the sun stood still..."

Joshua 10:13

In many of our lives it seems that there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish all that needs to be done. We can always think of something else that needs to be done and wonder how we are going to get it done and when. It is not only our minds that are overwhelmed while thinking on these things, but our physical body is exhausted. The schedule is full, but we are empty.

Joshua understood this feeling very well. Imagine having to step into the role of the man of God, Moses, and lead this great group of Israel into the land of promise. Every where that Joshua took this people there was a battle to gain and maintain every step. God had given them the seemingly impossible task of conquering the pagan armies of the land and gaining what rightfully belonged to the Most High. This task would take two things that do not naturally come to most of us: great faith and inexhaustible patience.

As Joshua pursued the Amorites the sun was beginning to set. It would not be long before darkness would settle over the whole land and all of those that had not been captured or killed would be lost. Joshua had a desire to finish the job that lay before him, but the daylight hours were against him. So, he asked God to do the impossible. In prayer to the Almighty, Joshua asked for the sun to stand still and give them more daylight until the entire enemy was defeated. God in His power and mercy did as Joshua asked, and God's people ended the longest day ever victorious.

While I am sure that there are days that you would like the sun to stand still for you as well, I don't think that this is the main point of the passage. First, I believe we are being taught that our God is the God of the impossible. Think for a moment of all that Jehovah God has done for you. We read stories such as this from the Old Testament and ask, "Why doesn't God do things like this today?" If you will stop and consider all that God has done for you and hear the testimony of others, you will realize that God is doing the impossible all around us every day. We serve an amazing and mighty God! Second, just as God increased the hours of this particular day, we need Him to increase our faith and patience. True genuine faith has no limits. What a brash thing it was for Joshua to ask God to let the sun stand still, but it shows us much about his faith. There is no doubt that our patience has limits as well, but how glad we are that God's patience is unlimited with us. If we want to be truly like God in our lives, then we must exercise patience like He has.

May you have all the light that you need for today!