“Falling Face Down”

Joshua 7 Joshua fell flat on his face seeking answers as to the reason they had victory in Jericho but defeat in Ai.  Surely this small city could be taken with a small force. Joshua failed to consult God first, and behind the scenes, we find that our archenemy had been busy.  The result was that 36 men died in that battle, and the residents of Ai had a victory party.

Joshua and the leaders fell on their faces before God and asked: “why?”  The Lord responded to his prayer: “Get up! Why are you lying there face down?” Like us, Joshua failed to consider that behind every failed circumstance, Satan is busy blinding us. We begin by asking “why” instead of seeking the wise counsel of the Holy Spirit. Why did Joshua not consider sin? We do the same. We want to blame God when God is not responsible. It takes a listening heart to hear God when we are wailing and asking why.

Even though the Israelites had heard of God’s directive of the ban on all things in Jericho, Achan had casually dismissed it. Like us, we know what God desires but fail to consider the consequences of disobedience. Do you dismiss sin? Do you think, “God will understand?”  Unlike us, God does not dismiss sin but demands purity and righteousness. We foolishly believe our sin only affects us. Be forewarned; “be sure your sin will find you out.” [Num 32:23]

Keep short accounts with God. Go to Him as Joshua did; locate the sin, and seek cleansing.

Advertisement

God is a Promise Keeper; are You?

Deut 7-8 Isaiah wrote that God is a promise keeper. He opens the eyes of the blind and frees prisoners. That could mean literally or spiritually and perhaps both. Our arch adversary seeks to keep God’s children both blind and imprisoned. But, when God delivers us, we should remember Jesus’ words: do not return to the adversary lest something worse happen. We must destroy the works of the enemy because if we do not, he and his demons will turn away our children from the faith to serve other gods. That was the warning Moses gave the children of Israel.

Secondly, God wants us to remember that he did not set his love upon us or choose us because of anything within us, but only because He loves us. It is because of his love that he promised to keep his oath and redeemed us from the prison of sin. We also need this reminder that within us lies no good thing yet because of His faithfulness He chose us from eternity past for His purpose. “The promise that I make does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. No, it is realized as I desire and is fulfilled as I intend” [Is 55]

So why do we not experience full pardon and freedom to see all that God has for us? It is because we simply do not want to destroy that which binds us utterly. We are comfortable in our sins. Until we come to the place that we desire God more than our sin that we will be free.

So where are you?

Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash

Sin and Holiness cannot co-exist

 

Numbers 33 From Genesis to Revelation, one theme is prominent: we are to be a holy people. As the people of Israel are nearing the end of their wilderness wandering, Moses takes them aside to remind them of this premise. They must purge the land of the idolaters and their idols. “Destroy all their carved images, all their molten images, and demolish their high places.” Then God gave them a warning: “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then those whom you allow to remain will be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your side, and will cause you trouble in the land where you will be living.” Further: if you do not do what I intended to do to them, I will do it to you. 

God is very clear; He demands holiness. He does not want his people to be touched or to embrace that which are unholy. 

Although written to the Israelites, it applies to us as well. Peter reminded the sojourners of God’s words: “You shall be holy because I am holy.” We can only do that when we are purged from our sin by the blood of Jesus Christ. In writing to the Romans, Paul reminded them; do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. We can only do that when we immersed in His Word daily. 

In thinking about this, what idols may we still be bowing down to? Is our mind clear and conformed to Christ?