Guest Post by Justin Mears

Today’s Passage – Joshua 8 – 9 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 1 Timothy 1 – 3Proverbs 14Psalms 66 – 70)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – 1 John 4:7 & 8

Read the “0314 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai: and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valour, and sent them away by night. (Joshua 8:3)

            Joshua has just experienced great failure. He has just had about 36 of his men killed in battle, the people are distressed and discouraged, and to top it all off he had to have Achan, his family, and all he owned stoned to death. This is a hard time in the life of a leader. I’m sure he thought over mistakes that were made, things that should have been done differently. Maybe a little bit of anger with Achan and even himself. Joshua was no doubt tired and deeply discouraged. His head was probably filling with doubts, confusion, and fear. This was a man at a very low point in his life. 

            Now we come to the moment when Joshua is given a second chance. God begins with the words “fear not”. He tells him to go back into Ai, because he has given him the victory. God can bring victory and he can give them the land and he wants to, but Joshua has a decision to make that no one else can make for him. He can either give up or get up. We see his decision in verse 3, “so Joshua arose!”

            Now comes the application:

For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. (Proverbs 24:16)

Whether or not we fall is not the question, but rather whether or not we get back up. You may wonder what the point of getting back up is. Easy, there is a whole promised land still out there full of victories that God wants to give you. Failure is all a part of learning how to succeed. God will bring future victories, but you must get back up. 

 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but [this] one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13 – 14)


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Debbie Leatherman
Debbie Leatherman
5 years ago

Praise the Lord for second chances & the gumption to get up & try it again but this time with God

Jops83@hotmail.com
Jops83@hotmail.com
5 years ago

Amen.

Steph
Steph
5 years ago

Awesome post Justin!!! Thank you!

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