Teachers build walls around a group of students to keep them engaged in a topic of learning. The walls are designed to minimize distractions and things that would derail that interest. Teachers strategically build walls around their students to allow them to become a unit that works together and to allow them to look out for the team - for their fellow man. We will not be discussing that part of the wall story today as Joshua and the Israelites were on the other end of things--taking down walls.
Joshua and the children of Israel faced formidable walls that kept them from possessing the land that God had promised them. But more than that, the march of the warriors was peculiar at best. Their strategy had been developed by God, and transmitted to the people by Joshua. Walk around in silence. Every day. For a solid week. This is much like the life of a teacher. March around the classroom. Observe. Observe some more. (Of course, it is not like the life of the teacher in the silence department--not at all.) The strategy was divine. Our strategy in the classroom needs an infusion of the divine if it is to be successful. I can't tell you how many of my ideas and solutions for the classroom and for individual students came during times of prayer. (I'm not saying I'm divinely inspired, mind you, but I am saying that my ideas were brought to my mind during prayer time.)
We are facing many things as teachers, as parents, as a nation. The walls exist on so many levels - politically, emotionally, morally, spiritually, and academically. We have to arm our children to scale the walls that trap them, while teaching them to deconstruct walls that others have erected. Those kinds of walls impede progress and unity. We need divine help to equip students to deal with a world of walls. They need to be able to discern when a wall is a protector and when a wall is an inhibitor.
Joshua and the people knew the walls of Jericho were inhibitors for the progress God commanded. The requirement for victory involved walking and silence. Have you ever been waiting for someone to arrive for a surprise birthday party? It's kind of the same deal. They were waiting for the signal. The Bible records this signal, " And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city." (Joshua 6:16) The walls tumbled down. Victory!
I encourage you today to keep marching in your quest to help students scale the walls of self defeat, discouragement, anger, fear, and sometimes, laziness (I did not say that, did I? I meant lack of academic stamina! Don't yell at me, this is the devotion page! Sometimes academic stamina is low because of many other factors. However, there are times that laziness is the culprit.) I encourage you to keep marching in the daily efforts to help students find the walls of hatred and tear them down with love and kindness.
Spiritually speaking, how many times have we forgotten that we are in the journey to follow in the footsteps of our Savior and bring glory to His name. Sometimes we see the walls and we find them to be insurmountable, when all along the way, He just wants us to walk around the walls. Being inexplicably faithful until He delivers us or shows us the hand holds He placed in the wall for us to scale.
A march is simply one foot taking one step followed by another until the journey is over. Keep going forward. We can do this! I can't wait to hear what God does for you!
" So the Lord was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country."
First published 9/24/201
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