A Devotional Thought From Joshua

Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it. … And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.     Joshua 10:5, 42

                So, these five kings decided to punish the city of Gibeon for making an alliance with the armies of Joshua, the people of Israel. They raised their armies and gathered together, creating a massive impressive, powerful army. The Gibeonites sent for help to Joshua who brought his army and in one of the amazing battle victories of all time completely defeated the armies of the five kings. Within two days all five kings were dead, their armies decimated, and four of the five cities had been burned to the ground. Within two days!

                There were supernatural issues at play, of course (the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel), but a terrifying lesson from this passage is that no matter how secure a city, or nation, may feel, no matter how powerful its forces, no matter how unlikely its devastation may appear, death, despair, and destruction may be just around the corner.

                For a nation, as well as individuals, the only true security is the living God of the Bible.