“Take off your sandals from your feet,
for the place where you are standing is holy” (Joshua 5:15).

There are only two instances in all of scripture where someone was commanded to take off their sandals. The first is recorded in Exodus 3:5 when Moses met God at the burning bush. The second is in Joshua 5:15. In this instance, the nation of Israel had just crossed the Jordan River after wandering in the wilderness for forty years. Moses was dead and God had just set Joshua apart to take his place. The people were about to begin the process of conquering the land God promised to Abraham, Jacob and Joseph. As Joshua surveyed the city of Jericho, he met the “Commander of the Lord’s army.” At that point, he was ordered to remove his sandals.

As I’ve considered the Lord’s command to Moses and Joshua to remove their sandals, the thought struck me that there was nothing special about the actual spot where they were standing that made it holy. For Moses it was on top of a mountain; for Joshua it was a random spot outside the city of Jericho. So, what was it about each place that made it holy, thereby requiring the removal of their sandals? Two things strike me in that regard.

First, each man was in the presence of the Lord. That fact alone makes any place holy. God’s presence makes it holy. But second, in each instance both men were on the verge of being used by God in a very unique way; Moses in leading the people out of Egypt, and Joshua in conquering the land.

That thought leads me to this observation. Any time we are about to be used by God in a special way constitutes holy work. As such, it becomes a time and a place to remove our sandals as a show of humility and obedience. Moses and Joshua had been prepared by the Lord for something special. Now it was time for each of them to act in accomplishing a God-sized task. You see, God always equips his leaders and asks them to move out in faith. In that sense, such activity on God’s part is holy. He puts his leaders on holy ground.

Can you see how this may apply to you? Here’s what I mean. Are you sensing that God is preparing you for something? You may not know what it is right now, but the time will come when you will. Further, can you faithfully view the process of preparing you as a holy process, one that will require you to move out with courage when God determines that the time is right? You see, there will come a time when God will make his plans plain. That’s holy ground! At such times, your response must be one of obedience, humility and faith.

Many have experienced such “holy ground”. It is both an exciting and scary place to be. Nonetheless, it’s the pattern whereby God uses his chosen people for his special purposes. Take off your sandals as you watch God at work!