all the good promises.

i sit here reading my bible study and praise God for His provision.

He provides me with words that i need to read on His timing.

it's interesting to reflect back on my life and see what i've been given and how i've handled it.

i am reading joshua and learning about how radically obedient he was.

joshua marched around jericho for 7 days.

seven days.

when is the last time you did anything for seven straight days?

and on the seventh day, he circled that city seven times.

we're not talking a mile here.

jericho was one of the biggest cities at the time.

that's dedication.

on the seventh day,

God saw joshua's faith and made the walls come tumbling down.

after He gave them the city,

the Israelites acted foolishly in regard to devoted things.

ie: they stole & got a bit greedy.

this led them to experience their first defeat.

God said "I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you

is devoted to destruction." (7:12)

in other words, before they could be victorious again,

the hidden sin would need to be exposed, and be removed.

the same is true for us.

if we don't deal with the underlying issues of our sin,

we will never be free.

that bondage that has a stronghold on us will never let go.

we sin.

we feel guilty.

our feelings of condemnation make us want to cower.

and we have two options:

depend on ourselves and never be satisfied.

or depend on God's grace,

aka the only answer to our selfishness.

further in the story,

joshua tells the Israelites:

"You know with all your heart and soul that not one of the good promises

the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been

fulfilled; not one has failed." (23:14).

you read that right.

not one.

and joshua said it twice.

that means He's super faithful.

when we allow God to give us the desires of our heart on His timing,

we quit testing Him.

and we allow his promises and His timing to prevail.

it's never easy to relinquish control

and let someone else write the story.

but I can promise you one thing,

His ending is 1000 times better than anything you could ever pen.

let Him write the story, and walk away from what holds you back.