As we said a few days ago we have one of the greatest
miracles ever in the course of human history recorded here in Joshua 10. But
before we discuss it, let me ask you a question. Do you need a miracle? Do you
need something to take place in your life that is supernatural, something that
cannot be explained. If you can explain it, it probably is not a miracle.
My friend, today America needs a miracle. It is not that we
need a new president, a new congress, or a new anything else. No, we
desperately need a miracle! Today we are celebrating our 248th
birthday of the Declaration of Independence that took place July 4th,
1776. America is a country that was founded by our forefathers upon Biblical
Judeo-Christian principles. These principles made America a good nation, made
up of good, God-fearing people. Psalm 33:12 says, “Blessed is the nation
whose God is the LORD!”
Someone said, “America is great because America is good and
if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great”. We are not
sure where this quote originally came from, but it is a Biblical truth. When
any nation removes God and His Word from public life and exchanges a Biblical
worldview for a secular humanistic world view, that country is on its way down.
Sadly, it appears that this is exactly what has happened in America, and we see
the consequences everyday with the corruption, violence, murder, materialism,
chaos, division, hatred, confusion, all around us.
Yet with all the problems America has, and especially after
visiting many other countries around the world over the years, I still would
personally rather live in America than any other place else in the world. With
all of its problems and all of its issues, we are still blessed to live in
America. Yes, America needs a miracle if it is to survive!
God had already preformed one miracle by sending a
hailstorm that was only killing the enemy soldiers (v. 11), but a bigger
miracle was needed, and Joshua prayed for it. Joshua prayed for a miracle of
extending the day so that he could finish the battle and secure a complete
victory over the enemy. His men were weary, and the task was great; and if
night came on, the enemy could escape. Joshua needed a special act from God to
enable him to claim the victory the Lord had promised.
Joshua prayed to the LORD for the sun and moon to stand
still (v. 12), and the Lord answered in a remarkable way. God, in His
sovereignty and providence, pressed the Pause button on our solar system. This
is the last miracle recorded in Joshua and certainly the greatest. We don’t
need to try to explain away a miracle. Either we believe in a God who can do
anything, or we must accept a Christian faith that's non-miraculous; and that
does away with the inspiration of the Bible, the Virgin Birth, and the bodily
resurrection of Jesus Christ. Certainly, there's room for honest questions
about the nature of the miraculous; but for the humble Christian believer,
there's never room for questioning the reality of the miraculous.
We are reminded of the many miracles performed by Jesus,
and His words in Matthew 17:20, “... I say to you, if you have faith
as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,'
and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Like Joshua we face battles and might have five kings
bearing down upon us. Discouragement, deception, defeat, destruction, and
death. Their goal is to chase us back into the wilderness. But if we have God
and prayer, we have everything we need for a miracle! God’s promise in 2
Chronicles 7:14 is still in the Bible! “If My people who are called by My
name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their
wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal
their land.”
America needs a miracle and today would be a good day to
pray for one.
