[Tuesday's Devotional] - When the kings attack, turn to the blood covenant

So the five Amorite (Western) kings—the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon—combined their armies and set out to attack Gibeon.

The men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua camped at Gilgal, "Don't let us down now! Come up here quickly! Save us! Help us! All the Amorite kings who live up in the hills have ganged up on us."

So Joshua set out from Gilgal ….. Joshua 10 vs 5-8: [The Message Bible]

As recorded in the passage above, five kings assembled in order to fight the Gibeonites, and their crime was, they had made a covenant with Joshua.

Often, when going through difficult life circumstances we are quick to conclude that God has abandoned us. Yet, this can serve as confirmation that we are highly feared by evil spirits upset by the fact that we have turned to Christ and are serving God. Yes, no matter which way you look there may be trouble- sickness and disease, marriage problems, depression, lack and poverty, a disobedient child, trouble from your relatives, trouble at work, etc. But, do not despair!

Do like the Gibeonites did. They sent a message to Joshua who was obliged to fight for them because of an irrevocable covenant the two nations had entered into (Read Joshua Chapter 9).

We too have a covenant relationship with God our Father that is guaranteed by the blood of Jesus. So when next you pray or take Holy Communion, ask God to deliver you from your troubles, not because of anything else, but because of the power of the covenant relationship with Him.

After taking Communion, a symbol of covenant relationship with Melchizedek, a shadow of Christ in Genesis chapter 14, Abraham received answers to his problems. The word of God came to him in chapter 15. Fear was also driven away from him and God became his shield and rewarder or divine provider.

Again after the blood covenant in which Abraham cut sacrificial animals in half and then God passed through them in Genesis chapter 15, Abraham was given the land of Canaan by God

And finally, exactly a year after God had made another covenant when Abraham was circumcised, Isaac was born.

So child of God, do not be afraid and do not underestimate what Jesus did on the cross for you and me. He was a perfect sweet-smelling sacrifice unto God. Despite our imperfections like the Gibeonites who cheated Israel into agreeing a covenant relationship with them, God will definitely answer prayers when approached on the basis of His covenant promises guaranteed by the BLOOD of Jesus.

Farai Mutsambiwa