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.” (Joshua 5:13-14)
Do you remember picking teams in elementary school? There was really only one place where I wanted to be in the process: the one who was doing the picking!
Joshua faced an interesting situation when we met the commander of the Lord’s army. Joshua had an important question: are you for us or against us? He learned through the exchange that he was looking at the situation from the wrong point of view.
In any issue in life, it’s easy to think that you know which side is the “right” side. You may weigh the evidence and decide which leader has the legitimate perspective. You may even switch sides at some point as you’re “enlightened.”
What the commander of the Lord’s army taught Joshua is that there really are only two sides to every situation. There is God’s side, and then there’s the other side. The wise leader, husband, wife, employee, child, and everyone else in between chooses God’s side over all of the others.
In your present situation, you may be tempted to pick a team. One side may be calling very hard, and you may find yourself drifting. But do yourself a favor: pause. Take a few moments to seek the Lord, and find out what His side is. That’s the side you want to be on.
Heavenly Father, I know I think I know a lot, and I usually know a let less than I think. In every situation I face, I ask that You would give me the clarity to know Your side. Let me take off my jaded lenses, and give me trust in You. Give me the wisdom to always be for You, and give me the courage to do so even when it may not be popular.
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