God
never fails or forsakes us (Joshua 1:5). Yet, every person, who relies on their
own understanding of the situation ahead of them, rather than trusting in God’s
direction, suffers in the wilderness of life (Numbers 20:8-12).
Joshua
is a type of Jesus, and they both relied heavily on God’s direction and wisdom.
God gave Joshua repeated victories, and his confidence in God grew with each
success. However, his victories also made him self-confident.
When
they finally arrived at the tiny city of Ai, the scouts reported that the city
had few men. Joshua felt confident that his army would come away with another
victory; therefore, he failed to consult the Lord’s direction for this battle.
God
did not let Joshua down, nor did He go back on His promise to give them the
Promised Land, but He did not honor Joshua’s attempt at self-reliance in Ai. Israel's
army lost the battle, and the survivors came home disheveled, discouraged and
defeated.
Success
in our battles is ours, only as we rely on God for His guidance and as we walk
in His ways. The key to victory is to remember the importance of trusting God
and obeying His directions every step we take in life.
Self-reliance
leads to defeat; reliance on God’s Spirit leads to victory. God gave us His
Spirit to guide us in each moment of our day. No matter how insignificant the
task, we can seek His counsel, walk in His strength and enjoy His success in
everything we say and do.
Prayer:
Father
God, seeking Your direction gives us the confidence to accomplish Your will
with our life. Remind us to rely on You every step of the way, and not to lean
on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). Help us to see that failure is not a
necessary ingredient when learning to succeed, if we totally trust only and
always in You.
Jesus
promised rest to all those that would come to Him (Matthew 11:28-30). Teach us
that the first step to receiving this eternal rest is through salvation, which
embarks us on a life-long journey with You, the God of the Universe, as our
best friend. Then, our spirit, which was dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians
2:1), is Born Again. Help us to walk in Your ways and to obey Your precepts.
Thought
for the Day:
God
restores our soul as we read His Holy Word; that is why we are so blessed that
God gave us not only the Old Testament, but also the entire Bible to enjoy
(Psalm 19:7); the peace and joy of God floods our soul through our daily
communion with Him in prayer, which heals us of our wounds from the past and
guarantees a peace-filled future regardless of our circumstances.
