Every Man Straight Before Him

So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. (Joshua 6:20) Day after day, Israel marched around Jericho in silence. By the seventh day, anticipation must have been thick in the air. When the trumpets finally sounded and the people shouted with a great cry, the walls fell flat…just as God had planned. But there is an important detail we must not overlook: “the people went up into the city, every man straight before him” (Joshua 6:20). They may not have understood why they were commanded to march in silence for seven days or why shouting would be the final step. BUT they did not lean on their own understanding. They acknowledged God and obeyed Him, and as a result, He literally made their paths straight. This is a powerful picture of Proverbs 3:5–6 lived out in real time. When we trust the LORD and acknowledge Him in our obedience, He directs our steps in ways we could not orchestrate ourselves. God may call us to actions that feel illogical or unnecessary from a human perspective. But obedience positions us to experience His power and clarity. When we walk in obedience, God removes obstacles and opens paths we could never force open. May we always be people who trust God more than our own reasoning, acknowledging Him in all our ways and walking confidently on the straight paths He makes for us.