“O God the Lord the strength of my
salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.”—Psalm 140:7
Joshua saw God’s might hand at work
many times from crossing the Red Sea to watching Jericho’s impassable walls
crash to the ground. But then the Hebrew
commander over the Israeli army experienced a devastating defeat.
Right after the conquest of Jericho,
his advisors recommended moving forward to defeat the city of Ai. Joshua took their advice, expecting quick
success. Instead, the Israelites found
themselves retreating in fear after some of their own men fell in battle.
The man who had sinned was put to
death along with his family. Then God
told Joshua that it was time to take Ai.
This time, purged of unrighteousness and following divine direction, the
army was successful (Joshua 8).
The story contains two vital lessons
for all believers. First, it is critical
to deal with sin quickly and completely.
Iniquity skews our thinking and keeps us from communicating with our
heavenly Father. Secondly, before taking
action, we should wait for God’s guidance.
Prayer—Father
I recommitted myself to not allowing sin to be in “my camp” and to always
seeking You first, in Jesus Name. Amen.
