Attitude: March 29, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY MARCH 29, 2012.

ATTITUDE

DEFINITION:

A feeling or opinion toward a person or a thing; mind-set; disposition.

SCRIPTURE:

And Joshua said, Lord why have You brought these people over the Jordan at all, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Joshua 7:7

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

As we walk the Christian life, many times we face situations that look like “mountains” to us. In most of these cases we develop at least a concerned attitude. We wonder why we are in this particular situation. We ask ourselves how we can overcome it. Of course, we try to conquer the situation in our own power.

The experience that the children of Israel had trying to conquer Jericho gives us an understanding of God’s perspective about dealing with what seems to be the unconquerable situations in our lives. The walls of the city of Jericho were 300 feet thick and sixty feet high. Joshua was told what to have the people do but they were more than concerned. This was an insurmountable obstacle to conquer.

Even as believers we often have to deal with insurmountable problems or situations. It may be a habit that we want to get rid of that has haunted us for a long time. It may be something that threatens our spiritual life. God had the children of Israel walk around the city one time for six straight days and on the seventh day seven times with the Ark leading the way. We can imagine that some of the people thought that Joshua must be out of his mind.

It would seem that God was putting the Israelites attitude to the test. Did they have an attitude of faith to follow God’s instructions completely, strange as they seemed?

When we follow, in our lives, the strategy outlined for the Israelites, walking around our situation in the presence of God (the Ark represented God to the people) asking Him in faith believing for wisdom and direction, the walls of our problem will collapse and our attitude will change as we shout from our heart glory to our Lord.

Perhaps God had the Children of Israel march for seven days because they needed to improve their faith and it took the people that long to get the right attitude about Jericho. The more they walked, the more they realized that it would have to be God to conquer their goal. He alone would make them victorious.

We all see people every day with bad attitudes. Their bad attitude comes from within but they will blame others. Maybe it is a bad home situation where nothing seems to go right. For others it might be a work place frustration. We even see people in churches, including pastors, with bad attitudes. Bad attitudes lead to bad responses, bad actions, and sad consequences.

This illustration from the story of Joshua and Jericho is one that each of us must remember. The next time you have an attitude problem, stop fast and ask God to help you conquer it. Then walk around the attitude problem, evaluating every angle of the situation, while you continue to talk to God. He will lead you and in His proper time will change your attitude. We all need to work on our attitudes daily, beginning with our attitude about the little minor situations that bother us. Put God first and watch what He will do for you. It is God that brings us the victory.

LEARNING:

We are memorizing the Ten Commandments. This week is number three found in Exodus 20:7.

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

PRAYER:

Give me an attitude of faith today that will bring honor and glory to You. Help me to be an example to my family so that as they watch me and my actions that they will see a constant consistent attitude that glorifies Your name.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

Beginning this next weekend we will be initiating our new weekend GEMS OF ENCOURAGEMENT. Watch for it every Saturday.