Monday, October 27, 2008

Monday's Devo. Ambush at Ai

Read Joshua 8.
God tells Joshua to go and take Ai because God is with him and he will succeed. He tells Joshua just how to do it. He is to put some of his men behind the city to wait. The majority are to attack from the front. They will draw the people out of the city to fight then turn and run. so that the men of Ai will chase them. This will leave their city unprotected. The men will then attack from the rear and burn it with fire. When the men of Ai turn and see their city on fire the children of Israel will ambush them on all sides and kill them.
I couldn't help thinking that that is one of the strategies Satan uses on us. He distracts us away from "the path" by drawing us away from our home (where we belong). He will use money, friends, popularity, a boyfriend, anything that turns our head, to draw us away from our relationship with God. Why is it so easy to get side-tracked? Maybe, because God is invisible and it takes faith, trust, and commitment to stay "plugged in." Once we have strayed away far enough then we are easy pickings for the devil to destroy. He comes at us on all sides. But, there is hope. God says in Psa. 18:17 - "He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me; for they were too strong for me." God will rescue us when we call out to him, but how can we keep from getting in that place where we need to be rescued?
1) read God's word daily. If you don't know where to start John is a great book to start in. The word is your sword. You can't fight without a weapon and that is the only one God gave us so it must be pretty important and effective.
2) Get to know God. Talk to him, include him in what you do. Let him become your father, your best friend, all that you need.
3) get active in a group (rcg's, church, some small group). We are much stronger in a group. God told us in Heb. 10:25 to not quit meeting together because we need each other.
4) protect ourselves. Eph 6 talks about having faith which shields us from the enemies darts, putting God's salvation as our covering. It says to wear our salvation like a helmet so that it completely surrounds our head and the thoughts of our mind. Everything needs to be filtered through that helmet. We are to reproduce truth so that what comes out of our mouth is truth. Our heart is to be covered with righteousness. The only way our heart can love right things is to filter our gates: our eyes, ears, and mouth. "Be careful little eyes what you see..." is not a child's song. It is TRUTH! If we are dressed in God's armor then our feet will be ready to walk in peace and we will walk in places God has prepared for us to speak so that His name will go forth and not return void (of no effect).
These are just a few things we can do that will keep us from being lured out of our camp and into the enemies hands. I pray that God's power will permeate your being and help you to fight with His might!

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