God is Good and Powerful

Alrighty...so yesterday was one of the more fun days I have had here in Orurillo. Tuesdays are market day and I found some good deals. Alpaca Wool blankets for 10 U.S. dollars, thats right. I shopped for hours, it was like the Flea Market back home, only way cheaper! The only appointment we had yesterday morning was to go to the school in Batsapata to make Salvation Bracelets for them and to leave them a book about Jesus. Anyway, the kids there were sad that we were not coming back to see them again, but hopefully in future years, missionaries will get to talk to these amazing 9 and 10 year olds. Beth was having issues with her eye, so she stayed at the hostel, that was sad because Beth is definitely the best with kids of our group. I just kinda stare at them and smile...its hard to connect when all you can ask them is how they are doing. The conversation pretty much ends there for me! Anyway, I went shopping, then bugged Claudia while she tried to check her e-mails, then we walked to Miraflores to see Corina, a believer at the church in that small village, but she was not there. So, we tried again at 6:30, still no luck. Hopefully we can meet with her today.

Today's plans...nothing in the A.M. and I think we are meeting some people for a bible study this afternoon, but other than that, nothing really. It's a slow day here and we will make the best of it. A couple of prayer requests on top of the ones I have already put on here...Kelly, one of the girls on my team, did not feel well yesterday, so please remember here. Beths eye is better now, but she is flying back to Lima tomorrow to go home, so remember her as well. Also, Jourdan from the Ayaviri team has been sick for several days, so pray for her. They (the Ayaviri Team) are supposed to be coming to Orurillo today, if Jourdan feels better.

Now back to my journey through Joshua and the reason for the title of this blog...

Joshua 8: The Israelites defeat Ai

Yesterday I blogged about the disobedience of Achan, how he took expensive clothes, gold and silver from Jericho, when God had commanded that they not do so. So, Achan and his entire family was killed, stoned to be exact and then their bodies were burned. Pretty graphic, right? Wait until this chapter...if the Old Testament does not make you fear our Lord, then nothing will.

God is good.
The the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid or discouraged. Take all your fighting men and attack Ai, for I have given you the king of Ai, his people, his town, and his land. You will destroy them as you destoyed Jericho and its king. But this time you may keep the plunder and the livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the town. -Joshua 8:1-2 (NLT)

If Achan would have just listened to the Lords commands, he would have eventually gotten all that he wanted and needed from the town of Ai. If only he would have obeyed the Father, he would have had more than enough. After all, God is good...he knows what we need, before we even know we need it. Wow. What powerful verses! I am blown away by Achan and this story...wait, I am as guilty as he is...

God is Powerful
When the Israelite army finished chasing and killing all the men of Ai in the open fields, they went back and finished off everyone inside. So the entire population of Ai, including men and women, was wiped out that day - 12,000 in all. For Joshua kept holding out his spear until everyone who had lived in Ai was completely destroyed. Only the livestock and the treasures of the town were not destroyed, for the Israelites kept these as plunder for themselves, as the Lord had commanded Joshua. So Joshua burned the town of Ai, and it became a permanent mound of ruins, desolate to this very day. Joshua impaled the king of Ai on a sharpened pole and left him there until evening. At sunset the Israelites took down the body, as Joshua commanded, and threw it in front of the town gate. They piled a great heap of stones over him that can still be seen today. -Joshua 8:24-29 (NLT)

Wow...that sounds violent huh? That is the wrath of God in 5 verses. He is powerful and because of the Grace of God through his son, Jesus Christ, we do not have to face the wrath of God. Death. I am learning as I read Joshua that my view of God is skewed by religion. Jesus and his flowing hair is a humanized version of God. God is both good and powerful, can I explain why the town of Ai had to be destroyed entirely? Or why the king was impaled?? No, I can't explain that, but what I do know is that God had it destroyed for a reason. God is completely sovereign and just in all of his decisions, so although I can't explain it, I know that God ordained it.

What in your life is unexplainable?
How does reading such passages change your view of God?

God is good and powerful...

I WILL GO
Chase Culbertson