[A Meditation on One Verse]

(Joshua 10:21) “The whole army returned safely to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah, and no one dared to move his tongue against any of the Israelites.”

Although it was a covenant made through deception, Israel responds to Gibeon’s desperate plea and confronts the five southern kings’ coalition. And God personally intervenes in this war, sending hailstones from the sky and even fighting by stopping the sun and moon. And at the end of all these miracles and fierce warfare, the final result testified by the Bible is this one verse:

”The whole army returned in peace (be-shalom).”

Now, no one dared to move his tongue against the Israelites. This state, where even the voices of mockery and accusation against Israel were perfectly silenced, is the complete victory and true peace, ‘Shalom,’ that God gives.

This means more than just the end of the war. Israel, who had been swayed and had their hearts stolen by the world’s many threats and mockeries, has now found their heart’s proper place in Him by experiencing God fighting for them. To them, who confirmed with their whole being that the world could not dare to harm God’s people, the world was no longer an object of fear.

It is the same with our lives. God fights for us today. When we stand firm in Him, no voice from the world can steal our hearts. This is the ‘peace’ that a believer enjoys.

We begin today, which is in the Lord, with this peace.

”Lord, keep me from being swayed by the voices of the world, and let me dwell only in the true peace that You give.”

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[Daily Reading]

– Joshua 10:6-21