Main Point and Overview:
Israel was guaranteed to experience success as long as they did things God’s way! When a single man and his family decided to step outside of that boundary, there was a steep price to pay. We must remember that we do not make decisions in a “bubble.” Lives all around us are affected by our daily decisions. We also need to remember that people are going to let us down as we are leading them. We must never panic and react; instead, we must pray and respond. Joshua learned a valuable lesson about how to handle disaster. While it didn’t start out well for him, he quickly adjusted his attitude and behavior, and he did what needed to be done for the success of the nation. Often, when someone makes a poor decision impacting others, people either excuse it or ignore it. This must never be the case with a leader who aspires to be courageous. Instead, we must be willing to confront sinful behavior “head-on!” As you do so, you position yourself to redirect the “team” back in the direction that God originally had planned. It’s in the crisis where character rises to the top. Joshua became that kind of a leader. Are you that kind of a leader? There is also another lesson to be learned. It’s very possible that Joshua had grown confident in his own abilities when the nation first attacked Ai. Instead of bringing the entire army, he only brought a few men. Was he overconfident? We cannot know for sure. What we do know is that the size of Ai didn’t change in the “rematch” battle, and yet, God commanded Joshua to bring the ENTIRE army to fight against them. Remember, our strength is not in our abilities but in the Lord Most High! People will let you down. It will hurt you. It will hurt others. When this happens, stay focused and keep leading the “team!”
Israel was guaranteed to experience success as long as they did things God’s way! When a single man and his family decided to step outside of that boundary, there was a steep price to pay. We must remember that we do not make decisions in a “bubble.” Lives all around us are affected by our daily decisions. We also need to remember that people are going to let us down as we are leading them. We must never panic and react; instead, we must pray and respond. Joshua learned a valuable lesson about how to handle disaster. While it didn’t start out well for him, he quickly adjusted his attitude and behavior, and he did what needed to be done for the success of the nation. Often, when someone makes a poor decision impacting others, people either excuse it or ignore it. This must never be the case with a leader who aspires to be courageous. Instead, we must be willing to confront sinful behavior “head-on!” As you do so, you position yourself to redirect the “team” back in the direction that God originally had planned. It’s in the crisis where character rises to the top. Joshua became that kind of a leader. Are you that kind of a leader? There is also another lesson to be learned. It’s very possible that Joshua had grown confident in his own abilities when the nation first attacked Ai. Instead of bringing the entire army, he only brought a few men. Was he overconfident? We cannot know for sure. What we do know is that the size of Ai didn’t change in the “rematch” battle, and yet, God commanded Joshua to bring the ENTIRE army to fight against them. Remember, our strength is not in our abilities but in the Lord Most High! People will let you down. It will hurt you. It will hurt others. When this happens, stay focused and keep leading the “team!”
Posted in Devotional