Wed.’s Devo - Obey the Lord

Read: Joshua 7-9
A tithe is the first tenth of our income. Jericho was the first town they faced in the promised land. The spoils from it were to be the tithe. God wanted all the plunder from this town. The plunder from the rest of the towns would be free for the people. Achan, whose name means “troubler” brought trouble to the camp. He lusted after a robe and some gold and silver he found in the camp at Jericho and hid it for himself. Be sure your sins will find you out. I’m sure he though he was good since he didn’t get caught right away. As they went to the next town which was a small town that should have been a steal; they were defeated. God showed them why and Achan’s sin was exposed before all Israel and he was killed. I’m sure that robe didn’t do Achan any good in the land of the dead. God told them that they would never defeat their enemies till the sin was exposed and dealt with. I wonder if that is why we can’t get victory some times. If God has told us to do something and we haven’t, things will not work out for us until we deal with what he has told us. Our pastor is always asking us to search our heart and ask God what is the last thing He told us to do, and have we done it. I find myself asking God that question a lot. Achan’s sin cost the lives of 36 men and a defeat for his nation. They ended up winning the battle but there is no way to restore those men’s lives. Our decisions do affect other people whether we understand it or not. It is important to obey God for ourselves and especially our families.
After they dealt with the sin in the camp, God gave them winning strategy and they defeated all of the inhabitants of Ai. Right after their victory, they were blind sighted by the Gibeonites. It is important to keep your guard up after a victory. That is when we seem to be the most vulnerable and prideful. Joshua didn’t consult the Lord and he ended up making a covenant with the enemy.
Lord, keep us awake especially after a victory. Help us not lust after the things of the earth but only desire You.