Sometimes when we don't win, we wonder why. We might feel concerned or even worried when we feel like we didn't win, but we are well protected and God's got us covered.
REMEMBER: 1 Peter 5:7 “casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Matthew 6 says "don't worry about anything". God promises to take care of us as He does the lillies of the field and the birds of the air. Matthew 18:18, God reminds us that we have authority and are representatives/ambassadors here on this earth.
Context: Sometimes things change and it feels like we are not winning. Joshua experienced this. He was Moses assistant (Number 13:1-7) and wasn't scared of war because He knew God was on His side. In Joshua 1, we read how God chose Joshua to lead the people into the promise land. His name means conqueror.
God's Promise: Joshua 1:1-8 KJV - Joshua won a lot... As Christians, we are supposed to win. God did not create us to lose. Even in death, we win! In death, we will go to a GREAT place with no more pain, suffering, crying, etc. God told Joshua that He will keep His word to Moses through him. The promises of God DO NOT change. All the promises of God are "Yes and Amen". God promises (in verse 5) that He will not leave Joshua and that same promise is true today for us in Hebrews 13:5.
Sinful Circumstance:
We read in Joshua 7:1 that while Joshua was familiar with winning, someone in the camp sinned, and that caused the group to start losing. They were confident and expected to win, so Joshua was confused when they lost. God told Joshua that someone violated a principle - Achan violated a principle, taking the things that belonged to God and buried it.
Have you taken what God gave you (gifts, resources, skills) and buried those things? Or are you using it for the wrong reasons?
In verse 7, Joshua asks God why He did this. Why bring us to this place and not let us fully win? How do you respond when you feel like you are losing?
Our Response:
- Adjust Your Attitude: Sometimes you have to say "I'm not going to stay here in distress but I am going to walk by faith. I can't always see it, but I believe what God said in Philippians 4:13. I cannot fail." Maybe it's the attitude.
- Stay In the Fight: We read in Matthew 17 that a man brought his son to the disciples and they couldn't cure him, so he brought the boy to Jesus and Jesus healed him, saying this is done through prayer and fasting. For some of us, we are not winning because we will not sacrifice and put God first. We don't run away from the fight that the enemy brings (verse 8), even if we fight until we pop our hip out of socket, we will win.
- Trust God At His Word:
- Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
- Romans 8:31 “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
- Romans 8:37 “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
- Make A Change: In Joshua 7:10-26, Joshua had to talk with Achan and learned all that he did. This is what was causing them to lose. God commanded Joshua to get rid of the one causing them to lose. There could be something or someone in your life that God wants you to get rid of so that you can win. What is that thing? Who is that person that God wants you to cut ties from? Are you ready to make the changes to go where God wants you to go?
Thank God He is gracious and Jesus paid the price for us so that we can win and prosper.