That place of level ground

January 10, 2020

I’ve always been fascinated by an encounter Joshua had with the commander of the Lord’s army that resulted in the Israelites taking Jericho with radical obedience and worship as their weaponry. While surveying Jericho, Joshua “looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’ ‘Neither,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’ Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant?’” (Jos 5:13-14).

First, even though the city had been promised to the Israelites and the commander was about to orchestrate its destruction through them, he didn’t take sides. Second, Joshua grasped His identity and authority and responded with worship. Third, he realized this encounter had a purpose, asked what it was and received a strategy for victory in Israel’s first assault on a walled city.

Prophetic Christian voices and even secular media are talking about 2020 being a year of clear vision. In 2 Chronicles 20:20 King Jehoshaphat addressed the people of Judah and Jerusalem, who were facing a vast army set to destroy them, with these words: “Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe His prophets, and you will succeed.” Like Joshua, he believed and obeyed, the army turned against themselves and destroyed each other and “the fear of God came upon all the surrounding kingdoms” (v.29).

2020 began with the threat of war between the US and Iran after a series of attacks and counterattacks. The Iranian government calls the US the “Great Satan”, and President George W. Bush identified Iran as part of the “Axis of Evil”. Whose side is the Lord on? Neither. (Also see Mt 5:43-45.) And He has come in His power to take territory: He is building one of the world’s fastest growing churches in the midst of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Just as Iran was launching ballistic missiles against a US air base in Iraq, an airliner crashed minutes after leaving Teheran airport, killing 63 Canadians, many of Iranian origin. Texting an Iranian friend who knew some of the dead, I remembered the verse, “Jesus wept” (Jn 11:35).

Iranian Muslims may be devout, secular or atheist. While proud of their Persian heritage, many hate their oppressive government. They fear people in the West will hate them because of their government. (This mindset also stems from their Shi’a faith that perpetuates a victim mentality from circumstances that led to a very early split with Sunni Islam.) They commonly experience harassment crossing borders. Canada has no diplomatic relations with Iran.

Step into that place of level ground before Jesus where our vision is clear and our response to Him is critical.

  • Worship Him along with Brian Doerksen’s song, “Welcome to the place of level ground”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd_y4xhhCWM
  • Establish yourself in how Jesus identified with us, revealed the Father to us and destroyed the devil’s works. Believe HE IS the example for us to follow.
  • Rejoice that He ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father, and that He has seated us with Him (Heb 1:3, 12:1-2; Eph 2:6, 4:10).
  • With authority, declare His mercy and grace over Iranian people – over the grief-stricken, the lonely, the atheists who’ve given up on God, those plotting continued terrorism. Declare they’ll see Jesus!
  • Pray for encouragement, open doors and a harvest for Iran’s Christian converts from Islam who are extending His reign in a hostile, dark kingdom.
  • Rejoice in the majesty and sovereignty of the Lord and His Christ (Ps 2, 46, 50:1).

About Leslie

Leslie knows by faith and experience that our heavenly Father puts His prayers in our hearts and then listens to our hearts’ cry as we pray them back to Him. We hear God, and God hears us.

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No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion.

Nelson Mandela

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength and all your mind. And your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus