Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Take the whole army with you, and go
up and attack Ai.
For I have delivered into your hands
the king of Ai, his people,
his city and his land.
Joshua 8:1
God doesn’t put a limit on how many times
we can come back to Him after we’ve failed. When we do, He picks us up, dusts
us off, gives us a hug or a swat (whichever we need the most)—sometimes both—and
sends us back into the fray. He forgives.
After Joshua blew it, God didn’t
rehash the problem, or call him names. Like us, Joshua was probably already berating
himself, reliving the whole situation and how he should have handled it
differently. Instead, He gave him a pep talk and marching orders.
Joshua needed reassurance that God
hadn’t rejected him as leader. God knew what Joshua needed to hear: “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
In fact, He speaks that exact phrase to him five times in the book of Joshua, plus a lot more messages of encouragement.
But that’s not all; God also tells him
why he doesn’t have to be afraid—because He has a plan and it’s already in the
bag. Then He gives Joshua specific instructions on what to do next—attack Ai
again, but this time take all the troops and rely on God’s power for success.
Have you tried to accomplish God’s
work in your own power?
Have you walked in pride and been
brought low?
Has someone in your church or family fallen
to temptation because of a lack of accountability?
Do you feel defeated by the failures
of your past? Like you have no business accepting a leadership role for God’s people?
That’s ok. God’s not done with you
yet. He hates pride and deceit, but He can use those who are humble and contrite.
On your prayer walk today, confess
your failures to God and let Him bolster your sagging confidence with a holy hug.
Ask Him: What now Lord? How can I lead when
I feel so unworthy? Show me how to fight for my family, my coworkers, my
neighbors and bring them to your kingdom? Give me courage to take the steps to accomplish
your will.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil
with good.
Romans 12:21
*Do horror films and Halloween celebrations fit with being a
disciple of Jesus Christ? Take a look at my book Taking Back October to learn what options we have as Christians. It's a terrific resource on how you can make this a faith building season of celebration.
Available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Back-October-Believers-Pursuit/dp/1502516292/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1505868831&sr=8-1&keywords=taking+back+October
#forgiveness #failure #unworthytolead #prayerwalking
#spiritualwarfare #claimingterritory #Joshua8 #Rom12:21
#HalloweenandChristianity #AllSaintsDay
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