Heart, Hands, and Headship

“Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity”  Joel 2:13 (NIV)

Just before entering the Promised Land, God caused the children of Israel to stop at Gilgal for a time of deeper repentance and consecration.  Here is what you can learn about your HEART, HANDS, and HEADSHIP in Joshua 5.

• Circumcise your HEART (Verses 1-2, 8-9) – Get your HEART in order. “But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision  is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.”  (Romans 2:29)
• Put your HANDS to work (Verses 11-12) – Get involved; find a place to function. Here, the Israelites were no longer provided manna; they had to work for their food. Get from THEORY to PRACTICE and then from KNOWING to DOING.
• Get your HEADSHIP in place (Verses 13-15) – Understand servanthood. Joshua removed his shoes (a symbol of authority; servants wore none) and fell facedown before the commander of the Lord’s army who had appeared to him. He worshiped God.  Seek God’s PRESENCE, not His PRESENTS. Anything less than servanthood is rebellion, disobedience, selfishness.

PRAY:
“Father, I humble myself before You. Accept my prayer of repentance and lead me into Your land of promise. I put my heart, hands, and head under Your authority. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”