FN-018 - God + Obedience = VIctory

The crossing of the Jordan and the battle of Jericho are behind them, the Israelites are victors because they obeyed the Lord. That is, all but one... Because Achan chose to keep some of the Lord's spoils for himself against direct orders, Israel got beat in a followup battle by a much smaller group, the people of Ai. We cannot overcome the challenges we face when we are disobeying the God we claim to serve - the One who fights for us will withdraw His help when we withdraw our obedience.

The trouble was found and dealt with, and in Joshua 8:1, God comes back to Joshua to rebuild what was lost within the heart of the leader of Israel. God told him, FearNot and don't be discouraged - go back to the place where you were defeated and I will go with you - the victory and the spoils will be yours.

We often do the same - on the heels of a great victory we forget to seek God, confident that victory will be ours again. In the face of these unexpected losses we can get buried in discouragement. Victory is never a guarantee without two key ingredients - God's will, and our obedience. If, however, you are assured of these, you are assured of victory. FearNot.

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