I believe God is drawing many of us right now, to worship in an attitude of humility before Him. And to listen for what He is saying.
For first comes humility, and then comes power.
The Apostle James explained it this way: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.” (James 4:10, NLT)
God’s Unusual Command to Joshua
Recently, I read the story of how Joshua met the “Commander of the Lord’s army” before the battle at Jericho.
And it struck me that God’s first instruction to Joshua was not to do with the preparations for taking the city!
Instead, the first command God gave to Joshua, was to take off his shoes.
Why? Because he was standing on holy ground—Joshua was in the presence of Almighty God.
We read about it in Joshua chapter 5:
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”
So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”
Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so. (Josh 5:13-15, NKJV)
Humility, Honor, and Respect
When you are barefoot, you are physically vulnerable.
And you can’t walk in rough, stony terrain without shoes—let alone march around a city and fight an enemy army!
Yet, this is the first act God requires of Joshua.
Because removing his shoes before God, was an act of humility that honored God’s holy presence.
Just as in the days of Joshua, great exploits are up ahead of us.
And we stand on the threshold of the promises of God, with an opportunity to pause and acknowledge God in His holiness.
“I am Giving You New Shoes”
This reminds me of a prophetic word I received years ago, at the close of a church service.
At the time, I was weary.
And so, my husband and I were standing in a prayer line, where the one praying gave me a simple message:
“God says, ‘I am re-soling your feet. I am giving you new shoes.”
Earlier that morning, as I was about to leave home, I made a hasty decision.
I suddenly remembered that two weeks prior, I had purchased some new sandals. So, I grabbed at the shoe box and pulled out all the tissue paper—sending it flying everywhere.
Now here I was, standing in my brand-new shoes, hearing these words.
And I began to cry.
Humility and Surrender
That prophetic sign heralded a new season for us. And it began with a moment of humility and surrender before God.
We know the time and the place He met with us!
Today, I believe there are some reading this who also need to hear this word:
“God says, ‘I am re-soling your feet. I am giving you new shoes.”
The Sign of Your Victory
Right now, God is drawing His people aside, into an encounter with Him such as Joshua had—a place of new commissioning!
Perhaps, you have felt weary or vulnerable recently. Or it seems as though past supports have been removed, and you realize the old, familiar ways do not work for you anymore.
- This is your place of worship, and just as it was for Joshua, so it is for you
For the sign of your victory is not a circumstance.
The sign of your victory is a person—Jesus, who is with you and has promised never to leave you.
A New Generation
Joshua’s encounter with God had something in common with that of his former leader, Moses, some forty years earlier.
A bush was on fire, but it was not being consumed!
Then as Moses approached, God spoke to him from the bush, saying,
“Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5)
Just as in Joshua’s time, a new era is here. It’s a new generation, with new leadership.
And God shows up—not in a burning bush but in person—with the same command. Now, it echoes down the generations: “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.”
Humility is Preparing You
When Joshua put on his shoes again after that encounter with God—he was ready to go!
He was stepping into victory.
So, if this resonates with you today, be assured that the time of your tipping point is here. See Jesus with you, going before you, for humility is preparing you for a coming season of power.
And you will stride forth in the simple confidence that you are under Divine command—walking in the footsteps of God.
Leave a Comment
Can you relate to this snapshot from the story of Joshua? It feels very present for us right now! I’d love to hear from you, so leave a comment or your prayer requests in the comments box below.
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Spiritual Warfare Course: Angels are sent to protect and refresh You!
Recently, this insight from the course stood out to me—
- Angels not only protect us during spiritual warfare
- God also sends them to us to minister refreshing after the spiritual attack
In Matt 4, we read, “Jesus said to the devil, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.’” (Matt 4:11)
Similarly, in 1 Kings 19, after Elijah went on the run from Jezebel, an angel came and ministered to him, providing supernatural, nourishing food and restful sleep.
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I welcome you to join me in: “Spiritual Warfare: How to Identify and Overcome Spiritual Attack”. It includes around 30 mini-lectures on video and is full of Biblical wisdom and strategies. And yes, it also has the complete transcript of the course in PDF format.
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Alternatively, you can view all online courses, including the Prophetic School here.
© 2023 Helen Calder, Enliven Blog
Enliven Ministries: Prophetic ministry for a revival generation
Helen Calder is a prophetic minister and writer, and founder of Enliven Ministries. Helen has a unique gift of equipping in prophetic ministry and prayer. She is known for Enliven Blog (est. 2009), an online resource that reaches thousands of people globally.
This prophetic word is a timely one for me. I’ve been struggling with series of emotions lately where I’ve been feeling bad that God removed supports from me and is causing me to work in unfamiliar paths.
But now, I come before God in humility and I receive the grace to trust in Him and His processes.
On Sunday the 5th as worship deepened my shoes began to feel as though my socks were full of fine gravel. Sharp, uncomfortable. I slipped off my shoes, no gravel.
OK a spiritual sign…. The message began ministry of the revival word. Joshua 5.
No I understand the sign… Remove your shoes the ground is Holy. God bless your ministry. The word is Alive with meaning.
As I was leaving for work today I decided to put on new shoes that I have never worn before. As I was reading this article it hit me… “I have new shoes on.” This is speaking directly to me and I receive this message in Jesus name. Stepping into all God has for me. Thank you Jesus!!
Night before last I just dreamed of walking with my sister in Christ who was barefoot and I said to her , let’s get you a new pair of Sandals. Sometimes my sister represents myself. Seeing my sister is a reflection of myself. Praise God for this prophetic message.
Thank you for this timely word Helen!
I can so relate. I have been going through a very strange transition period where the Lord has stretched my faith in so many ways. Just in the last few days these very words you wrote, “…it seems as though past supports have been removed, and you realize the old, familiar ways do not work for you anymore”, has transpired in my life. When I reflected on it, it made me sad as there was also a loss of relationships that meant a lot to me. However, the Lord has definitely brought about humility in me through the process and for that I am grateful.
The Lord bless you Helen. Much grace to you as you continue in His service.
This word is a confirmation to me. Lately I have been thinking about humility and I remembered a vision I had yrs ago. While in a prayer meeting my pastor prayed for humility for the members. As he was praying I had a vivid picture of Jesus with thick woolen looking cloaks across His arm. He was laughing and almost dancing and flinging them out. I couldn’t see where they were landing. Somehow I knew they were mantles of humility. Thank you for sharing this word.