What's Your Jericho?

If you read my last post then you know that I participated in a church wide fast for 21 days. The goal was to set something aside for this period of time...to sanctify yourself...in preparation for seeing God work wonders. The inspirational scripture was from the book of Joshua as the Israelites are about to take possession of their promised land and cross the river Jordan. Joshua 3:5 "Prepare yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you."
Our pastor told us that the first town that Joshua had to conquer among entering the promised land was Jericho. "Now the gates of Jericho were securely barred because of the Israelites. No one went out and no one came in." Joshua 6:1
Jericho represents strongholds. Strongholds are ways of thinking, basically lies, that we adhere to strongly despite the fact that they are not of God; they hold us captive. No one gets in and no one gets out; at least that's how our enemy would like it to be. It is spiritually significant that the Israelites had to conquer this place first. Why? Because the battlefield for our souls largely takes place in the mind. Overcoming strongholds is the key to fulfilling your destiny in Christ and taking the land God has prepared for you.
How you do know what your stronghold is? Pastor Steve said, "ask yourself these questions."
Identify the king: Do you feel like what you battle constantly is becoming part of your identity? The enemy wants it to be that way. He wants it to be Jennifer, the _____________. (Fill in the blank here)  What makes you defensive...hopeless? That's what he wants to write in the blank.
I knew exactly what to write in the blank. My stronghold is rejection. It stems all the way back to my childhood and has controlled my behavior ever since. I see rejection even when it is not there. For most of my adult life, I was motivated by things I thought would gain approval from others. In many ways, I turned those things into idols because I was hoping to gain from them what only God can provide. God wants to tear down those walls and let the truth come rushing in. In my mind, it was 'jennifer', the despised, the rejected. I realized instantly that my current situation, with the other doctors, is my Jericho. (Have you noticed that SHHEC has a big 'tower' out front?)  I could choose to live inside those walls and further cement this as part of my identity, controlling my behaviors, or I could choose to make it the event that sets this captive free. Just like the cross at Calvary, the enemy was hoping it would be the death of one of God's beloved, but instead God will use this in my life to bring himself glory.
The way we weaken the walls of our Jericho is by meditating on God's word. Replacing lies for truth. I think God asked me to eliminate Facebook so that what people had to say would be so much less important than what God had to say. After 21 days, it becomes a habit/way of thinking. So for the last 7 days of my fast I read scriptures each morning that told me how God feels about the rejected of this world. I also walked around my house praying each morning; I encircled it once for 6 days, and then on the 7th day I walked around my home 7 times finishing with a shout of praise. The last day of the fast literally was a shout of praise. We had a "Night of Worship" at DWC and I sang with the choir, which I recently joined.
Here are some of the scriptures God gave me:
1st Corinth 1:27-29 " God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not- to nullify things that are, so that no one can boast before him."

Psalm 22:24 "For he has NOT despised or scorned the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from her but has listened to her cry for help."

Neh 4:4 "Hear me O God, for I am despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity.

Deut 7:6 "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the people on the face of the earth to be his...his treasured possession."

John 15:19 "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

Col 3:12 "Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."

No, nothing miraculous has changed yet with my call situation. In all honesty, I was hoping God was going to drop some amazing solution in my lap after 21 days. That didn't happen. But don't get me wrong, I do think things have changed...in my mind and priorities.