Going In Circles?

(Note: The hi-lited passages provide links to Scriptures referenced)

Do you ever feel like you are just going in circles, passing by the same "landmark" over and over again, and feeling like what you are doing is just useless, going nowhere fast, getting nothing accomplished? Sometimes I get so frustrated with myself when I keep hearing the same Truth over and over and I think "Lord, I KNOW this is True, so why don't I finally 'get it' and move forward!"
One night I was reading to my kids about the battle of Jericho and the men who marched around and around and around the wall, over and over again, for days, because that is what God had commanded them to do (Joshua 6).
While reading this, in my head I was thinking: How silly is it that the Israelites had to walk around the wall of Jericho EVERY day for 6 days, one time each day. And how silly is it that on the seventh day they walked seven times then had to blow their horns and THEN the walls fell down? It just seems ridiculous, honestly, when you first hear the story. What were they thinking while all of that was going on? Were they thinking “this is stupid” “why are we doing this” or “this is crazy”?
I don’t think so. I think they were trusting in the Lord. They had disobeyed him in the wilderness, they knew the consequences of Moses’ disobedience when striking the rock for water, they knew the consequences of not trusting the Lord to give them the Promised Land the first time they came to it. I believe that these men KNEW that the Lord Jehovah could have crashed the walls of Jericho on day one all by Himself if he wanted to. All God had to do was say the word and those walls could fall in the blink of an eye.

So why didn’t He? Because FAITH in God and FAITHFULNESS to God are required of His people (1 Cor 4:1-2, Hebrews 11:6) . He could have given His people the city right away, with nothing doing on their part; but He chose to not do it that way. He tested their faith and their trust in Him and, after their faithfulness was shown, the city was delivered to them.
In thinking about all of this, I also thought of Jesus instructing the disciples in the boat where to throw their nets (John 21:3-7). The disciples had been fishing all night but had caught nothing. Jesus appeared before them and said “cast your net on the right side of the boat” and when they did it exactly as He said, their nets were filled with fish! Did Jesus really need them to cast their nets in that one particular spot? He is Jesus! Couldn’t He, being the son of God, have filled their nets no matter where they were? Couldn’t he have just said the word and had the fish jump straight in the boat if He wanted to? He could have done any of this, but, again, He chose to INVOLVE His people in His miracle just as God the father involved the Israelites in Jericho. As with Jericho, Jesus wanted to REWARD their faith and their faithfulness. He gave them a chance to trust and obey and then He rewarded their response.

God can do anything with a word, just as He spoke the entire Universe into place with His Word (Hebrews 11:3), but He chooses to involve us in what He is doing and He chooses to exercise our faith and our faithfulness– not to exasperate us or make us “work”, but to equip us, to train us, to strengthen us, and to lovingly and patiently involve us in what He is doing. If God had broken the walls of Jericho Himself, he could have done it in one day, one second even. But He involved His people and so it took seven long days.
God wants to involve us not just to strengthen us and train us up but also simply because He delights in us (Psalm 149:4). Look at Genesis 2:19 "Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man (Adam) to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name." Did God need Adam to name the animals for Him? No, but He brought the animals to Adam "to see what he would name them" - our God wants to be involved with us, delights in being involved with us. This is just like those times I choose (when I have time!) to involve my children in washing dishes with me, or putting away laundry, or making dinner. I don’t need their help at all. In fact, I can get my work accomplished much faster without them being invovled. But my children delight in helping me. They feel important standing next to me at the sink or the washing machine. They puff out their little chests and know they are "mama's helper". And, when I let go of my uptight desire to just “get it done” and done "my way", I enjoy having them next to me. How much moreso is this true with our Perfect Father? God enjoys having us next to him. He enjoys involving us in His miracles. He can do it himself, but He wants to teach us, to lovingly guide us alongside Him.
So, the next time I am marching around and around and around feeling "useless" or even "silly," I will try to remember all of this. And, while I'm marching, I will also remember that there is a "seventh day" coming for ME and, when I shout, ALL the walls will come tumbling down!

Lord, thank you that You delight in me and You WANT a relationship with me; you WANT to involve me in Your works, in Your plan. Lord, help me to not grow weary while doing what is good and help me remember that in YOUR timing I WILL reap a harvest (Gal 6:9). I love You, Lord and I TRUST YOU that I am NOT just "marching in circles" but that You WILL bring to completion the good work You began in me (Phil 1:6) and that I WILL have VICTORY through Jesus! (Ps 118:15, Prov 2:7, 1 Cor 15:57 1 John 5:4-5. In Jesus' name, Amen!