Christian Devotional – August 10, 2025

Begin Again, Day 12

The obedience parade. Read Joshua chapter 6.

Joshua had shared with the people the plan. They understood what God was asking them to do. Now, they just had to go and execute it. The people of Jericho were terrified and had barred the doors against the Israelites. But as God explained to Joshua and Joshua explained to the people, all they had to do was go out and walk around the city once a day for six days, and then on the 7th day, walk around the city seven times and shout. God was going to take care of the rest.

Here, we see them doing this, having one of the longest, weirdest parades ever. If the people thought these were odd instructions, the Bible doesn’t record that. If the people were confused or had any hesitancy about going through with them, the Bible doesn’t record that either. What we see is Joshua, the priests, and all the people doing exactly what God had asked them to do for the first 6 days.

If someone was writing a book about our life and was describing how well we’re obedient to God, what would it say? Are we doing what God told us to do? Are we doing it, but complaining and arguing and fussing and feeling like we’re having to be drug along the way to make it happen? Would we not be obedient, and just be waiting for God to do something else?

What does your book of deeds look like today? If we’re going to begin again, part of that is the commitment to follow through on what God has told us to do, even if that looks like a huge, weird parade. We don’t have any record of the people complaining or arguing, so why should there be a record of us complaining or arguing about anything God has given us to do? What do we need to get busy doing today?