Guest Post {Ashley}

If you missed Ashley's intro, you can read it here. Thank you, Ashley, for sharing your heart with us. 

What is your Jericho?

We all go through that period in our lives where we just want more than anything to know God’s will for our lives. We have gotten to the point where we want to take up our cross daily and follow Him, but WHERE? While reading through Joshua, I found myself becoming jealous. I know that sounds weird since with this passage we usually hear things about trusting God and just doing what he tells us and everything will work out great; our “walls will fall” just like those around the city of Jericho. But reading through this story I’ve heard time and time again, I wanted to get something else out of it. I am always amazed at the different meanings I can find in a single passage. Anyways, while reading through this passage yesterday, I found myself wishing that I knew what my Jericho even was! I feel like I am sitting with my army and trumpets waiting on the signal from God, but still I am left wondering. In Joshua 6, the scripture says, “Then the Lord said to Joshua...” WOAH! I mean what Joshua did was incredible, I’m not discounting that. I’m sure that people mocked him and scorned him for not immediately attacking the city. But, the LORD SAID. Oh what I would do some days to hear the Lord, or even to be one hundred percent confident in what He wanted me to do. At this time in my life, I think it’s normal to feel this way. I’m being told to choose what I want to do with my life, where I want to live, who I want to marry- all things that will have a forever impact. While I think about things such as missions, I know I am called to be involved, but WHERE, HOW, WHEN? If only God would place a giant city in front of me with specific orders on how to defeat it. I know I could impact the world through international missions, however my heart hurts for the lost right here in Knoxville or back home in Memphis. I am totally broken and there is no way to help everyone, everywhere, so where do I go? Who do I help? I stand paralyzed in fear that I won’t choose God’s perfect will for my life. I know in the Bible it says something to the effect that if you are doing good for the kingdom, God will bless you, but if you are in God’s PERFECT will He will bless you the most. I think this is my worst fear. When I get to the point where I can look back on my life, I don’t want to think “well, I did good but I could have done better.” So for now, I wait and pray. I know that there is a time where I will have to pick to go one way or another, to take one job or another. For now, I wait prepared with the armor of God, fighting the daily battles in preparation for my Jericho.

Joshua 6:1-22