In Joshua 6, Israel had experienced a great victory over
the city of Jericho. But in Joshua 7, they suffered a humiliating defeat in
their battle with the little city of Ai because of unconfessed sin in their camp.
They made the mistake of becoming proud and thinking they could enjoy victory
in the battles of life without praying or seeking the Lord’s instructions
first. Paul said it this way; “Let a man who thinks he stands take heed lest
he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
We are also warned in Galatians 6:1-3, “Brethren, if a
man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a
spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one
another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks
himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” We can’t
afford to be careless in our daily spiritual walk, especially after
experiencing a spiritual victory of lifting a brother or sister out of a sinful
situation.
But we must also realize that we are still human, and life
is a series of mistakes! If you don’t want to make any mistakes, don’t do
anything or go anywhere! It was Henry Ford who defined a mistake as "an
opportunity to begin again, more intelligently." Joshua would also have
agreed, because he is about to "begin again, more intelligently" and
organize a victory out of his mistakes. Today we should be encouraged knowing
that “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20).
In Joshua 8, God gave Joshua and the people of Israel an
opportunity for a new beginning. Once the nation of Israel had judged the sin
that had defiled their camp, God was free to speak to them in mercy and direct
them in their conquest of the land. "The steps of a good man are
ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not
be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand" (Ps.
37:23-24). No matter what mistakes we may make, the worst mistake of all is not
to try again; for "the victorious Christian life is a series of new
beginnings" (Alexander Whyte).
I’ll never forget a message I heard in my earlier years
entitled, “Failure plus failure, plus failure, plus failure, plus failure,
equals success!” Proverbs 24:16 reminds us that “Though a righteous man
falls seven times, he will rise again.” I
love how the Living Bible translates 2 Corinthians 4:8-9; “We are pressed on
every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we
don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up and quit. We are
hunted down, but God never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up
again and keep going.”
In Joshua 8:1 we find that a new beginning always starts with
the Word of God. It was a word of encouragement. Today we don't hear God's
audible voice as people often did in Bible times, but we have the Word of God
before us and the Spirit of God within us; and God will direct us if we wait
patiently before Him. Discouragement over the past and fear of the future are
the two reactions that often accompany failure. We look back and remember the
mistakes that we made, and then we look ahead and wonder whether there's any
future for people who fail so foolishly.
The answer to our discouragement and fear is in hearing and
believing God's Word: "Fear not, neither be thou dismayed" (v.
1). Take time to study the "fear not" statements of the Bible. Note
that God spoke these words to different kinds of people in various
circumstances, and His Word always met the need. God never discourages His
people from making progress. As long as we obey His commandments, we have the
privilege of claiming His promises.
Remember that today is the first day of the rest of your
life! Arise and fix your eyes on Jesus!
God bless!
