Then the Commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so. (Joshua 5:15)
This is a picture of the simple and unadorned relationship God desires with His children. Adam and Eve were “naked and unashamed” in the beginning, while enjoying intimate fellowship and knowledge of the Lord. Thus, the Lord was telling Joshua to come out from behind any covering, any agenda, or anything of self, and stand before Him on the basis of God’s holiness alone. This is the supernatural preparation the Lord desires for all those He commissions to do His will. Everything we do must stand on the sovereignty of God, and nothing else. So, take off those shoes!
God will unmask every son or daughter He draws to Himself. He will first strip us of any sense of self-righteousness and the worldly knowledge we mistakenly call wisdom. As Joshua found out, God was not on His side, nor was He on the side of Israel and their armies. God is never on our side, but we are to be in agreement with Him, because His side is the only one that matters. That is a completely different point of understanding. Remember, God chose Israel, and He chose Joshua -- not the other way around. The Commander of the Lord’s Army reminded Joshua who the true Leader was -- and He never had to remind Him again.
Let's Pray - Dear Lord, may there be nothing between me and You. I remove everything in my life that might hinder our relationship. I will remove my shoes. Amen.
Amen. Jesus has permission to control my life...I take off my shoes. He is helping me do so.
ReplyDelete