Joshua didn’t win the day because the sun stood still. Joshua won the day because the Lord was on his side. Joshua 10 shouldn’t encourage us to go around commanding God’s creation to bow to our wishes. It should make us in awe of the one who can make time stand still, who would go to such extraordinary lengths to answer His children’s prayers and give them the victory.

Do you see the extent of God’s love? God is the only One who would go to any length because of His love for you.

God went so far as to send His only Son, His beloved Son to die for you. Jesus willingly gave up His life for you. He didn’t have to. He chose to. God has patiently endured the human race and continual rejection so that you could be His. He destroyed enemies. He parted seas. He led them step by step. He provided for them. He made a way so that He could be with them. He made a way so that He could be with us.

We get to live with the constant reminder of God’s great love for us, the love that loved us while we were still sinners, the love that chose Jacob when he was in the womb and had not done one thing good or bad.

We don’t earn God’s love. We don’t deserve God’s love. We receive God’s love. We revel in His love. We allow it to embrace us and spur us towards a life of love for others.

We win at life because God is on our side. That doesn’t mean we get everything the world says we should desire. It should mean we get our heart’s desire, though, because God should be our desire. Philippians 2:13 says that God works in us to place in us His desires, His will, and gives us the power to carry it out, to complete those good works God prepared for us.

We should live in victory because Jesus already won the victory. We should live in victory over sin because we are filled with the power of the Spirit to overcome. We should live in victory over whatever the trouble is because He is the victorious One, and we’re surrendered to His good will in our life. Those things might all be coming against us, but we can stand in the victory of His peace, joy, and love. We can stand in the victory of His eternal life already gained and promised forever. We can choose to abide in His presence. Then we’re always by His side. We can’t lose because we have Him. What else do we need?