by Steve Reeves

Everybody has faith in something. Even an atheist has faith in his own reason.

Hebrews 11:30 says, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.”

Hindering Faith
So . . . what’s holding you back? What’s your Jericho? Jericho was the oldest city in the world. The Canaanites had populated the city and they were a sinful people. Every kind of immorality hid behind its walls.

What is hiding behind your walls?

Jericho was surrounded by two huge walls lined with soldiers and watchmen at every gate—8.5 acres of land with two walls 15 feet apart.

The Israelites were faced with several options: They could scale the walls 
. . . beat down the gates . . . tunnel underneath . . . or use bombs that were not yet invented.

But God had a plan, which can be a problem because we often have a plan as well. And that is why our faith must be obedient.

It’s one thing to hear God; it’s something else to obey.

The African Impala can jump 10 feet and cover a distance of 30 feet. But a zoo with a three-foot wall can keep the Impala enclosed because they won’t jump if they can’t see where they’re going to land.

We tell God we’ll do anything, “Just don’t expect me to do something I’ve never done before.”

But if you want to swim, you have to jump into the pool.

Faith requires getting wet.

Overcoming Faith
The children of Israel marched around the walls once a day for six days. Seven priests carried trumpets in front of the ark on the seventh day. But even though it looked like a parade, it was an invasion.

God’s plans were exact: not one time, not two, not three, not four.

Thomas Edison was asked, “Why don’t you give up? You’ve failed 1,000 times.” He responded, “I’ve only found a thousand ways it won’t work.”

God gave victory his way and the walls came a-tumblin’-down!

How tall are the walls you’re confronting? Faith in God can bring them down—if you’ll do it his way!

Steve Reeves is lead minister at Connection Pointe Christian Church in Brownsburg, Indiana. He and his wife Kristen have three grown children.