Happy Friday! It’s time for your daily devotional. Have you ever celebrated a great victory and then experienced a devastating loss? Situations can turn on a dime, and your exuberance can quickly turn into discouragement. In today’s daily devotional, Israel was devastated after being on top of the world, but God turned things around through their obedience.
Losing the Battle
Joshua followed the Lord’s instructions and destroyed Jericho. The city wall fell down on the seventh day after the priests and army marched around it seven times, blew their horns, and shouted. In Joshua 7, the next city to conquer is Ai, and it’s so small that Joshua doesn’t send the entire army. Instead, he sends a troop of three thousand, but, surprisingly, they get routed. About thirty-six soldiers die in the battle.
Joshua and the elders rend their clothes, fall to the ground, and put dust on their heads. This is a sad day for Israel. They’d fled before their enemies and were cut down. Joshua cries out to God. He regrets crossing the Jordan into Canaan; the nations will hear of their defeat and gear up to wipe them out. In your daily devotional, when things go off God’s plan, seek God to show you the cause.
Right Standing With God
If Joshua expects sympathy, he doesn’t get any. In 7:10, “The Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?” He tells Joshua that Israel has sinned, and until he finds out who has broken faith, Israel cannot stand against her enemies. Joshua sanctifies the people and the next day brings them before the Lord. God chose Judah; then He chose by household. When God viewed them individually, He chose Achan.
When Joshua tells him to confess his sin, Achan admits he took items he coveted in Jericho and hid them in his tent. After they found the items, they stoned him. Then the Lord’s wrath was lifted. In this daily devotional, you must walk in obedience to be in right standing with God.
Winning the Battle
In 8:1, God told Joshua not to fear, and to return for battle: “I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land.” This time, God instructs them to lie in wait while one group approaches the city. When Ai’s army comes out, they are to run away like before, but the second group is to rise up and burn the city. When the soldiers turn and see their city being attacked and burnt, they flee in fear.
The first group turns around, and destruction comes to the entire population of Ai. God allows Israel to take spoil for themselves. The city is left a heap, and its king is put to death and thrown by the city gate. In your daily devotional, when you obey God, you stay away from sin. Then God’s blessings flow abundantly to you.
Obeying God’s Word Brings You Success
In Friday’s daily devotional, Joshua builds an altar to the Lord and writes Moses’ words on the stones as all Israel stands before the priests and Levites. Then Joshua reads the book of the law before the whole assembly, including women, children, and foreigners who serve the God of Israel. This shows Joshua’s commitment to keep God’s Word before them. Good leaders adhere to God’s Word. In this daily devotional, don’t let the Word depart from your mouth; read and meditate on it daily. Obeying God’s Word guarantees your success.
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