Are You on God’s Side?—Two2Grow, Saturday, August 22

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he 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?” Joshua 5:13–14 NIV

A Post by Josephine Stenhammar
 
In these verses we see how Joshua, who God had chosen to lead Israel into the promise land, met the commander of the army of the Lord.
Joshua’s first question when he saw him was whether the person (or angel) was on their side or their enemy's side.
 
The commander replies that he is on neither side, but he is the commander of the army of the Lord. This shows Joshua how God does not side with people, but God has His own divine will and purpose.
 
We understand how God is not a God we can claim and use for our benefit.
It is easy for us to claim God as our own and to claim the works of God as ours. In reality, God is Holy, awesome, and does not belong to anyone. It reminds me of what God says in Isaiah 66:1-2:
 
“Heaven is my throne,
   and the earth is my footstool.
Where is the house you will build for me?
   Where will my resting place be?
 Has not my hand made all these things,
   and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.
 
God is bigger than we can imagine, and we cannot claim Him and use Him for our purposes. God has His plan and His divine purpose and will. The question is not if He is on or side, rather, if we are on God’s side.
 
Yet in all of God’s greatness and awesomeness, He still comes down to our level and invites us to be part of His divine plan and purpose.
 
Lord, open my eyes that I may see more of your awesomeness. May I always align my life with your will and kingdom. Thank you for inviting me into your plan and your story. Amen