Life Principle 5
God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable. (Joshua 3:8)
God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable. (Joshua 3:8)
Life’s Questions
Are things not going the way you planned? Is it difficult for you to understand what went wrong in your situation or why God isn’t blessing you? Sometimes it feels as if God is no longer working in your life because you’ve insisted on doing something your way instead of His way. Perhaps you’ve placed a condition on God—you only obey Him when you think His instructions are logical. What that really means is that you’ve failed to commit yourself to Him completely, and that’s bound to cause frustration in your life.
Are you hesitant to obey God because He’s commanded you to do something that you’re not comfortable with or you think is irrational? If your prayers seem unanswered and the path ahead appears blocked, then it could be that God is waiting for you to take the step of faith that He’s commanded. Don’t lose hope about your circumstances. Instead, embrace Life Principle 5: God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable.
What the Bible Says
Read Joshua 3. What were the people to look for when crossing the Jordan River (Jos 3:3)?
Why would the people have been fearful about crossing the Jordan (Jos 3:4)?
*** The Jordan normally has many fording places, but this episode takes place during the grain harvest, when the spring rains and the melting snow from Mount Hermon would have flooded the Jordan’s banks, making it completely impassable. Also, enemies and beasts such as vipers, scorpions, crocodiles, and panthers, could hide in the overgrown brush along the banks.
What was God’s promise to the people if they obeyed Him (Jos 3:5)?
What was God going to teach the Israelites (Jos 3:7-11)?
What do you think would have happened if the Israelites had not obeyed God?
What It Means
If you were planning to lead an enormous group of people across an overflowing river into enemy territory, probably the last thing you would do is send your most important people with your most valuable possession in first to test the waters—especially rushing flood waters. Yet, that is exactly what God sent Israel’s priests to do at the Jordan River. God’s command did not make sense to them, but He had another purpose in mind, which was to teach them to always keep their eyes on Him instead of their circumstances.
Life Examples
Read Joshua 6. What was God’s command to the Israelites concerning Jericho (Jos 6:2-6)?
Does this make any sense to you as a military strategy?
According to Joshua 6:5, what was going to make the walls of Jericho fall?
*** Archaeological discoveries have shown that Jericho’s outer wall would have been approximately 6 feet thick, and the inner wall 12 feet thick.
What was similar about this event and the crossing of the Jordan (Jos 6:6)?
How closely did the people of Israel have to obey (Jos 6:10)?
What was the result of the Israelites’ obedience and God’s faithfulness (Jos 6:20,27)?
Living the Principle
What has God called you to do? Do His instructions seem extreme or confusing? Has He challenged you to do something that you don’t feel capable of? It is not your job to understand God’s plan, but it is your responsibility to obey Him. God sees the beginning, middle, and end of your situation; therefore, His perspective about what He has called you to do is far more complete than yours. If you could just see things from His point of view, you would be highly motivated to obey Him.
True obedience means doing what God says, when He says it, how He says it should be done, until what He says is accomplished—regardless of whether you understand the reasons for it or not.
Unfortunately, if you disobey Him, you will continue to struggle in the same area repeatedly, and you will lose out on His blessings. God’s goal is to grow your trust in Him, so He will give you assignments that test your heart and mature your faith. The good news is that, when you submit to God, He shows you His faithfulness and empowers you by His Holy Spirit to do everything that He calls you to do. Your obedience—even though you don’t understand what He is doing—exercises your faith, making it stronger.
How will you live out Life Principle 5 this week? Discuss what appears “illogical” about what God has commanded you to do. Why does His direction intimidate you? How can you overcome your feelings of fear or confusion? Remember, your goal isn’t to understand God’s will; your goal is to step forward in obedience and faith. Therefore, encourage one another to do whatever God has called you to do. Then spend time in prayer asking God to draw you into intimate communion with Himself and to transform your life so that you can affect the world for the sake of His kingdom.
Life Lessons to Remember
Are things not going the way you planned? Is it difficult for you to understand what went wrong in your situation or why God isn’t blessing you? Sometimes it feels as if God is no longer working in your life because you’ve insisted on doing something your way instead of His way. Perhaps you’ve placed a condition on God—you only obey Him when you think His instructions are logical. What that really means is that you’ve failed to commit yourself to Him completely, and that’s bound to cause frustration in your life.
Are you hesitant to obey God because He’s commanded you to do something that you’re not comfortable with or you think is irrational? If your prayers seem unanswered and the path ahead appears blocked, then it could be that God is waiting for you to take the step of faith that He’s commanded. Don’t lose hope about your circumstances. Instead, embrace Life Principle 5: God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable.
What the Bible Says
Read Joshua 3. What were the people to look for when crossing the Jordan River (Jos 3:3)?
Why would the people have been fearful about crossing the Jordan (Jos 3:4)?
*** The Jordan normally has many fording places, but this episode takes place during the grain harvest, when the spring rains and the melting snow from Mount Hermon would have flooded the Jordan’s banks, making it completely impassable. Also, enemies and beasts such as vipers, scorpions, crocodiles, and panthers, could hide in the overgrown brush along the banks.
What was God’s promise to the people if they obeyed Him (Jos 3:5)?
What was God going to teach the Israelites (Jos 3:7-11)?
What do you think would have happened if the Israelites had not obeyed God?
What It Means
If you were planning to lead an enormous group of people across an overflowing river into enemy territory, probably the last thing you would do is send your most important people with your most valuable possession in first to test the waters—especially rushing flood waters. Yet, that is exactly what God sent Israel’s priests to do at the Jordan River. God’s command did not make sense to them, but He had another purpose in mind, which was to teach them to always keep their eyes on Him instead of their circumstances.
Life Examples
Read Joshua 6. What was God’s command to the Israelites concerning Jericho (Jos 6:2-6)?
Does this make any sense to you as a military strategy?
According to Joshua 6:5, what was going to make the walls of Jericho fall?
*** Archaeological discoveries have shown that Jericho’s outer wall would have been approximately 6 feet thick, and the inner wall 12 feet thick.
What was similar about this event and the crossing of the Jordan (Jos 6:6)?
How closely did the people of Israel have to obey (Jos 6:10)?
What was the result of the Israelites’ obedience and God’s faithfulness (Jos 6:20,27)?
Living the Principle
What has God called you to do? Do His instructions seem extreme or confusing? Has He challenged you to do something that you don’t feel capable of? It is not your job to understand God’s plan, but it is your responsibility to obey Him. God sees the beginning, middle, and end of your situation; therefore, His perspective about what He has called you to do is far more complete than yours. If you could just see things from His point of view, you would be highly motivated to obey Him.
True obedience means doing what God says, when He says it, how He says it should be done, until what He says is accomplished—regardless of whether you understand the reasons for it or not.
Unfortunately, if you disobey Him, you will continue to struggle in the same area repeatedly, and you will lose out on His blessings. God’s goal is to grow your trust in Him, so He will give you assignments that test your heart and mature your faith. The good news is that, when you submit to God, He shows you His faithfulness and empowers you by His Holy Spirit to do everything that He calls you to do. Your obedience—even though you don’t understand what He is doing—exercises your faith, making it stronger.
How will you live out Life Principle 5 this week? Discuss what appears “illogical” about what God has commanded you to do. Why does His direction intimidate you? How can you overcome your feelings of fear or confusion? Remember, your goal isn’t to understand God’s will; your goal is to step forward in obedience and faith. Therefore, encourage one another to do whatever God has called you to do. Then spend time in prayer asking God to draw you into intimate communion with Himself and to transform your life so that you can affect the world for the sake of His kingdom.
Life Lessons to Remember
- Obedience must be the top priority of your life (see Ps. 119:145).
- The Holy Spirit enables you to walk obediently before God (see John 14:26).