Gilgal

GILGAL

Joshua 5:9 Then the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you." So the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.

Gilgal means "Rolled away", a new beginning starts from the day God rolls away the stone of reproach in your life. Cheer up friend, there is a day of relief that is planned by God, you would not forever be in bondage, pain and humiliation. Wow, this needs celebration today, isn’t it?

A) TIME:

Joshua 5:2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time."

AT THE RIGHT TIME: Trust God’s time, direction and instruction in your life. Joshua 5:2 says: At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make for yourself flint knives and circumcise again the sons of Israel the second time."

God selected a time when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel. Look at that! These guys were now terribly scared of the Israelites because of the miracles that they heard, I wonder how soon the news spread in those days that had no internet facilities or whatsapp. God will make it happen. Amen. Your enemies and your mockers will hear about your blessings, clap hands for God, will you? So, the right time was fixed for this process of circumcision of the people of God who made it to Gilgal. Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”

People who disobeyed God did not make it but they died in the wilderness.

Friend, when we go through sufferings, delay or pain we look at it as something that is concerning just you, but look at the above scripture, God circumcised an entire nation to make a new covenant with them of blessings and peace. There is pain, inconvenience and suffering involved in the process; however, trust God to bring you through. You will make it! Anybody listening to me? Proverbs 16:9 “ In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”

When our family and ministry were relocated to Hyderabad in 2009 along with our two children Shalina and Joshua, who were just studying, my daughter had just finished inter college and my son class 4. Crucial period in all our lives; however, we JUST obeyed God as a family. We felt it is not the right time, since my daughter had to join Engineering college; however, in the eyes of God it was the right time for us. Was it smooth sailing and cake walk after that? Never, the trials and sufferings were innumerable and those were nightmare days; nevertheless, I write this after more than a decade of our ministry in the new city, Hyderabad where God established us. Habakkuk 2:3 “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. “ My daughter not only completed B.Tech, Computer Engineering, but also completed MBA and is now pursuing M.Div. Circumcision is necessary and mandatory for our walk with God. God would be with us and bring us through. Stay strong! 1 Peter 5:10”After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

B) CIRCUMCISION: SEPARATION:

8 Now when they had finished circumcising all the nation, they remained in their places in the camp until they were healed. Just imagine the entire nation being circumcised and sitting in their respective places!

THEY REMAINED IN THEIR PLACES IN THE CAMP UNTIL THEY WERE HEALED: Wow, these lines directly spoke to me because we are too busy running around with jam-packed agenda and dead-lines, sometimes God, Bible, prayer and fasting is not in our agenda at all. God becomes curry leaves in the lives of busy people, God knows how to get our attention. The people of Israel while they were getting healed, had time to meditate the goodness of God in bringing them through from Egypt. He did that for me when I became bedridden during my second pregnancy , while 5 months pregnant, I was diagnosed with multiple fibroids in the uterus , the doctors strictly ordered me not to move from the bed. It is during this period that I started thinking of God and His Word in the emergency ward at hospital, I opened the Bible for the first time and started reading from the beginning. My hospital room turned into a church where I met the Lord Jesus Christ and I got saved. .Amen. Click link to read my full testimony of my miraculous healing, salvation and call to full time ministry.