“Set an ambush behind the city .” Joshua 8:2
Sometimes we get our self into a place in our thinking where we just need an attitude check. One year, after having a wonderful season, the Kentucky Basketball team lost the final game of the SEC tournament. This lesson showed them they were not indestructible. Then in the biggest tournament of the season that attitude check readjusted their thinking. When competing for the national championship they came out playing with more vigor than ever.
This is what happened to the Israelites early in the book of Joshua as well. The spies said, “The city of Ai is a piece of cake, we only need a couple of thousand men and we’ll have them.” Their self-absorbed attitude got the best of them. It took three dozen men to lose their lives, before they decided to check with the Lord. Even though it was sin in their own camp that caused their problems, they stepped back to take another look at the enemy. The sin in the camp was taken care of and this time they inquired of the Lord. Under his guidance the battle strategy was much different.
The new plan which was in tune with God was, don’t take the enemy for granted and learn how the enemy will respond in a given situation. That is exactly what they did. They offered the enemy the same scenario as before. This time they staged a few men who were running for their lives, but they were actually leading the army of Ai away from the city. It was far enough away so the real damage God called them to do could be done. Joshua, waiting in ambush with his army defeated the enemy.
Now as Christians there are two things we can learn about from this battle. First, when we are in tune with God and he instructs us to run from our enemies, it is because that is the battle plan. A plan designed to set our enemy up for defeat.
If however, we are not in tune with God and we run from our enemies, it is because we are afraid, and we are looking at a sure defeat. One in which we will certainly encounter some casualties.
Lord, help us to stay in tune with you and follow your battle plan. Your plan will always result in victory.
The “3 Minutes Alone with God” devotional Books by Robin McKinley are available on Amazon
A