Has there ever been a time that you felt defeated? Maybe you lost something very important to you -- a job, your best friend, relationships, your health. You gave it your best, but you lost.
“Joshua is a book about winning and losing. In order to conquer and settle the Promised Land, the Israelites had to win a series of battles and, ultimately, a war. The Israelites prevailed. But warning flags were going up. After the exhilaration of battle, real life would settle in again. Idolatry and an immoral culture were still around. And so even in winning, the Israelites could lose. They could gain the whole land of Canaan and lose their own souls. A military victory could bring with it the fruits of a moral defeat. Israel could conquer the Canaanites militarily, but be defeated by the Canaanite culture. The military losers could actually become the cultural victors.” (Touch Point Bible)
Today, we are so blessed! We have wealth in friends, family, and finances, but with these social and economic victories, we must be mindful of not losing the spiritual battle. We must be careful in our quest to gain the world, that we do not lose our souls.
Joshua was a great soldier, and the Israelites military victory in Canaan was certainly a part of Joshua’s military leadership. However, his greatest skill was being a spiritual leader. He was a man of God, and he pleased and obeyed God. “Thus, he led on both the military front, where raw power rules, and on the spiritual front, where raw power is subservient to simple trust in God. Joshua learned that you win by doing it God’s way. The power of the military was a weapon in the hand of the Lord. Victory came not because of the weapon but because of the Lord who held it.” (Touch Point Bible)
Are you feeling defeated, and longing for victories over circumstances in your life? Our tendency is to align ourselves, like a military army, with raw power along with money, prestige, and position, and think that victory will come from these. Having those things brings a sense of power, and we think they will assure victory, but God holds the true instruments of victory. When we trust and obey the Lord, it will lead us to victory, but first, we have to learn how to develop the courage that is necessary to be completely obedient to God. This is what the book of Joshua will teach us.
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Help us maintain our souls and win those spiritual battles. Help us follow Joshua’s heart...a heart set on doing it your way and knowing the power of trusting and obeying you. Thank you, Lord! We can’t do this world without you! We love you!
“May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
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