Staying in the "Jericho March"

This is an article that I found that I believe everyone should read. It has really helped me with pressing forward to the promises of God. I felt led of God to post this on here. It is a word for someone and I hope they get to read it. But even if you feel this isn't for you now, I still pray it will uplift or encourage you.
"Many of us at one time or another have missed out on possessing what God says belongs to us simply because we failed to stay in the "Jericho March." The children of Israel faced a literal Jericho. For us, Jericho represents anything that the enemy puts in our way to prevent us from receiving what God says belongs to us
Staying in the Jericho March means you will continue doing whatever God has told you to do until the walls of your "Jericho" come tumbling down. Just because you have God's promises to possess certain things is no sign that possessing them is going to be easy. God never said it would be easy. But He did say you would possess.
These days it seems as though everyone is always looking for something easy - the quick fix. We expect to get what we want - and fast! With our modern technology, we can send an e-mail to someone on the other side of the world in an instant with the touch of a button. We can download, upload, transfer, and stay in touch all in the blink of an eye! Even when it comes to food, we're used to getting what we want in a hurry. With the microwave, we can have dinner ready in just a few minutes. And because of the ready-made cake mixes, it doesn't even take as long as it once did to bake a cake.
I remember my grandma made cakes from scratch. She lived to be ninety and although ready-made mixes were available, she still made her cakes from scractch. Today, however, it seems as though most people want everything fast. We open a box of cake mix, dump the contents in a bowl, add eggs and water, mix it, and stick it in the oven. But it wasn't that way when Grandma did it. It took some time back then.
In this modern day of "quick and easy," many Christians want to be able to sit down, say "Thank you, Lord," and receive all God's blessings. Sometimes you have to get up after you pray and put legs to your faith, so to speak.
Now, over the course of possessing all that belongs to you, as you make progress and overcome one obstacle, the devil will put other obstacles in your way. You may say, "I'm getting tired of this." Friend, now until Jesus comes back, you're going to have opportunity after opportunity to prove that God's Word still works!
You may have to take a Jericho March, and you may have setbacks along the way. The enemy may even seem to win a battle. But remember, losing a battle doesn't mean you've lost the war. We all have setbacks, but we keep on marching. The people who sit down and give up are the ones who never get any closer to receiving the benefits that God has promised them.
So what if you come up against an obstacle or a problem? Think of all the men and women in the Bible who faced obstacles and problems. The Word of God tells us that our enemy goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). The Word also tells us that God will deliver the righteous out of all trouble (Psalm 34:19).
Satan took Jesus on a high mountain and said, "If you follow me, You can have the world and all the pleasures it has to offer" (Matthew 4:8-9). Satan is still playing the same tricks today. He offers fun and excitement, but he doesn't tell you that the fun and excitement turn to disaster.
Television shows and movies make alcohol and drugs look exciting. But ask the people - the former lawyers, doctors, CEO's, preachers, and so forth - who have chosen that path. They saw the glamour and the bright lights; that's the side the devil wants to show people. But go behind the scenes, and you'll find out that the path ends in destruction. Only Jesus can bring life-and that more abundantly (John 10:10).
Do you want the walls that have hindered you to come down? Then begin to shout praises to God - even when it looks like everything is dark adn bleak. Faith believes, and faith praises.
In Acts chapter 16, we read that Paul and Silas were in jail, up against their own "Jericho wall." Paul and Silas didn't panic; instead, they praised the Lord! Most people in that situation would have said, "Paul, you invited me to go on this missionary trip, and look where we are now. What's the matter here? We must be out of the will of God."
Sometimes, facing tremendous obstacles and circumstances simply proves that you are in the will of God. Who do you think the devil tries to mess with the most? Those who are in the will of God - the people Satan knows are going to tear his kingdom apart. What's the use of messing with someone who's not going to give him any problems?
So stay in the Jericho March. When your adversary attacks and you're facing every kind of obstacle imaginable, throw your hands in the air and begin to praise God saying, "This is just another opportunity to prove that God is still God." You have the choice to succumb to defeat or to stay in the Jericho March.
Acts 16:25 says, "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them." To me, the word "midnight" represents two things beyond the usual meaning of a specific time of day. Number one, it represents the darkest hour of a trial or circumstance. But midnight also represents th elast part of the night, signaling that the day is just around the corner.
Someone going through a midnight trial might say, "Oh, it's so dark!"
I tell them, "That just means you need to look on the horizon because the S-O-N of God is beginning to shed His light on your pathway. And all your trials are going to melt like a snowball in the hot July Oklahoma sunshine."
If the Israelites could shout and praise God when they only had the Ark of the Covenant to fix their eyes upon, how much more can we shout and praise God when the Presence of God is dwelling inside of us! But instead of shouting, too many people are sitting around, saying, "Why, God, why?" That's not what we should be saying. We should be shouting and praising God, saying, "I trust You, Lord. I believe Your Word."
Instead of looking for the answer to your question, "Why did this happen?" start looking for the victory. And keep marching. Too many people are asking, "Why?" when they should be marching. The sooner you start praising God and marching to His drumbeat, the sooner you're going to come out of your trial and situation.
March on, because just over the hill, the victory awaits you. Do not slow up when an obstacle is in the way. But march on through the heat and the cold, and God will show you the victory.
March on, and you shall see that what is behind you will have no affect on the future. The past is the past - it's over and done with. Put it away forever and march on, and God will show you great and mighty things."

WEARING GOD'S FIRE SUIT
The circumstances of life may bind you up and throw you into the fire, so to speak, but friend, you have a fire protection suit. It's the power and annointing of God!
Let me explain. I like car races, especially NASCAR. If you want to drive in a car race, you have to abide by the safety rules or you won't be allowed to enter the race. First, you have to wear a special kind of sock and undergarment. Then, you put a suit on top of that and put a hood on your head. Each of these garments is fire retardant. Race car drivers can be in a fiery crash and escape unburned because of these special suits.
However, the fire retardant suits race car drivers wear only hold up in a fire for a short period of time. They're designed to last long enough to allow the driver to be rescued. But the fire retardant suit tha tyou and I have - the annointing and power of God - is a suit that lasts forever! No fiery dart of the enemy can penetrate it.
You're not going to go through life without having a problem, test, or trial. At some point, you are going to face the fire. But if you have strong faith in God and His Word, you will walk into the fire and out without being burned.

I hope this has encouraged someone. God Bless