TODAY’S WORD FOR THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17, 2016.
ATTITUDE
A feeling or opinion toward a person or a situation; mind-set; disposition.
When the trumpets sounded, the people shouted and at the sound of the trumpet, when the people gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed, so every man charged straight in, and they took the city. Joshua 6:20
As we walk the Christian life, many times we face situations that seem like “mountains” to us. We can feel so overwhelmed with the enormity of the problem that we have a defeatist attitude before we begin.
The experience that the children of Israel had while they were 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 city of Jericho was fortified by a double ring of walls that were in some places twenty feet thick and twenty-five feet high. They were impenetrable and 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. We may feel our problems are insurmountable just as the Israelites thought about the walls of Jericho.
God will provide a way to those who trust and obey Him. 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. On the seventh day they were to blow a long blast on their trumpets and then shout. We can imagine that some of the people thought that Joshua must be out of his mind with these strange instructions.
It would seem that God was putting the Israelites attitude to the test. Did they have an attitude of faith and obedience to follow God’s instructions completely, strange as they seemed? Indeed they did have an attitude of faith and because of their obedience to God’s command the wall fell down and they took the city.
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. An attitude of faith and confidence in the Lord will bring us victory. God can change our attitude of fear and worry to an attitude of joy and victory no matter what the battle might entail, if we begin with an attitude of faith.
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 fully grasp the enormity of the problem and 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 and there is constant dissension. 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 perspective 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.
Recently we saw a truck on the road ahead of us with the words, “Attitude is contagious” on it. How true that is. The walls of Jericho would not have come down if Joshua’s attitude of faith and confidence had not spread throughout the tribes of Israel. As Christian parents we must be aware that our attitudes have great effect on our children. Children pick up on our attitudes. We must ask ourselves what kind of attitudes we are transmitting to our children. Whether good or bad they are contagious.
Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:29.
For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.
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.
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