JOSHUA 8:1 : Then the LORD said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people
of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his
city, and his land.”
Gibraltar is a small peninsula of the southern coast of Spain near the entrance to the Mediterranean
Sea. Covering most of this peninsula is an enormous mass of limestone 1,398 feet high. This rocky
mass has become a symbol of stability and certainty, and from which we get our expression, “Solid as
the Rock of Gibraltar.”
Yet God’s word is just as solid and even more so. Three times God spoke to Joshua of future events
that were as good as done. In chapter 6, God said of Jericho, “See! I have given Jericho into your
hand, its king and the might men of valor” (v.2). And that’s what happened.
In chapter 8, He said to Joshua concerning Ai. “See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his
people, his city, and his land” (v, 1). Sure enough, it came about (vv. 1825). Then in chapter 10, God
promised Joshua victory over the Amorites, saying, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into
your hand” (v, 8). Again, God came through on His word (vv. 101I).
While the Rock of Gibraltar will some day crumble, God’s words never will. Jesus promised, “Heaven
and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matt.24:35). In a day of
instability and change, we can be confident that what God says, He will do. What He declares, He will
perform.
If you are feeling bewildered by upheaval in your life, look to the Rock not the rock of Gibraltar, but
the Rock of Jesus. Take Him at His word; He will never change.
DON’T SETTLE FOR THE ROCK WHEN YOU CAN HAVE THE ROCK.