AFRAID

Today's reading: Joshua 6-10

"Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go in or out." Joshua 6:1 NLT

Let's put the obvious out front: The people of Jericho were not afraid of the Israelites, though many in number and industrious. The Jericho-ians were scared to death of the God these people served!

So they went on lock down. They battened down the hatches. They closed up shop. They put the 'Out Of Order' signs on all their city gates.

Here is what I thought when I read and re-read that verse...

The folks we are trying to reach for the Lord do the exact same thing.

For the same reason.

They shut down all relations with us that might lead to a conversation regarding God.

They cancel all plans that might put them in the car with us for any length of time, because they know our faith will at some point enter into the chit chat.

They walk around us on Monday because they know, they just know, we're been capped off on Sunday by one of those special services we so often talk about.

They walk on eggshells of conviction, not from us, but from God.

They are afraid. Of what might be required of them. Of what they might be asked to give up. Of how they might respond to this life changing gift--I mean, what if they talk about God even more than you and I do??!!

They are scared, so they lock down the gates to their hearts.

Never fear, God has the key needed to break into their lives and speak to them in ways that we never will.

Keep praying for them.

Keep talking about God to them.

Keep gushing about the Bible-teaching, Spirit led, Christian fellowship you share with other believers.

Keep at it.

Keep marching about them like the Israelites did around Jericho!