Neither

Most of us can empathize with the nerves felt when you are standing in a row waiting to see which team picks you to play for them. As you stand there, you wonder which team you will get to share your talents with. As you stand in the row, you see both teams as friends, but the other becomes the enemy when you get picked for one team.

When Joshua approaches this man in our scripture above, we discover He is an angel of the Lord. Joshua asks this man if he is here to fight with Joshua or against him. If we read ahead, we know that the angel is there to help bring victory to Jericho.

However, the angel responds to Joshua not with the assurance that He is on their side but that he is on neither side. He is the commander of God’s army. The distinction here is that God did not come down to join in on the plan Joshua made nor make Joshua victorious.

God came down so that the victory at Jericho could be in His name and honor. God used Joshua as an earthly vessel to accomplish His plan.

How often do we ask God if He is on our side and expect Him to join us in our plan for our life?

God isn’t here to make our plan work; we are here to play a role in the plan that God is already working on. God is not taking sides; one plan over his or her plan. Instead, we are here to be on His side, humbling ourselves, submitting to His plan and praying that He uses us to serve Him.