by Sandy Kirby Quandt @SandyKQuandt

Lately, I’ve thought about persevering in our writing journey when we’d rather give up. When we’ve hit one too many walls in our attempts to achieve something we have our heart set on achieving. When one too many rejections come back from the submissions we thought for sure were good fits. When we can’t keep doing this, yet know we must. When we want to walk away from our dreams instead of walking toward them. 

I believe the story of the conquest of Jericho by the Israelites is a story of perseverance writers can gain encouragement from. God told Joshua to walk around the walls of the city once a day for six days. On the seventh day they were to walk around Jericho seven times. On the seventh day the people showed true perseverance. They waited until the final time around for Joshua to give the command, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city.” 

They shouted. The walls of Jericho fell. The men charged in, took the city, and devoted it to the Lord.

Just as we may wonder at God’s command to Joshua to conquer a fortified city by walking around it thirteen times, we may wonder why our quest, our goal, our dream is often put on hold until the thirteenth time around. 

Perhaps, like me, you feel you’ve circled the walls of your own personal writing Jericho for a very long time. You’re waiting for the Lord to tear down those walls which keep you from your writing dreams. You wonder if this time around the walls will fall. 

When we look at the story of the conquest, we see a willingness to persevere until the walls fell. We see obedience to the Lord’s commands. We see a willingness to keep circling the walls and not give up until such time the command went out, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city.”

Looking at this story we see a people who did not give up on the twelfth time around. And neither should we. No matter how many times around it takes. The Israelites remained bold and courageous until the Lord gave the victory. 

It takes boldness and courage, lots of courage, to persevere until the writing walls fall and the Lord gives us the city.

Do you ever wonder if the Israelites felt like giving up on the twelfth time around? What would have happened if they did? 

More importantly, what will happen if we don’t persevere until the walls fall and the city of writing God calls us to circle is conquered?

I wish you well. 

Sandy Kirby Quandt is a former elementary school educator and full-time writer with a passion for God, history, and travel; passions that often weave their way into her stories and articles. She has written numerous articles, devotions, and stories for adult and children publications. Her devotions appear in two Worthy Publishing compilation books; So God Made a Dog, and Let the Earth Rejoice. She has won several awards for writing including the 85th and 86th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition in the Young Adult category, First Place in the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Children’s Literature 2016 Foundation Awards, First Place in the 2017 Foundation Awards in the Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Flash Fiction categories. Looking for words of encouragement or gluten-free recipes? Then check out Sandy’s blog, Woven and Spun.