Morning by Morning, May 21 - Devoted to Resurrection not Destruction
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You here in my heart and here in my day. ...
"So the Lord was with Joshua; and his fame was in all the land. But the Israelites broke faith in regard to the devoted things. Achan ... took some of the devoted things; and the anger of the Lord burned against the Israelites" (Joshua 6:27-7:1).
Israel won a great victory at Jericho. But she did not honor You in her victory. Rather than destroy everything in the city You told them were "devoted to destruction," they kept some for themselves and hid them away (v. 7:11). They thought they could continue to win their victories in the power of Your name without submitting in obedience to the character of Your nature. But they soon found out at their very next battle against the city of Ai that they were wrong, when they were easily defeated by their enemies and sent running away in shame (v. 7:4-5).
You explained to Joshua, "Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I imposed on them. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have acted deceitfully, and they have put them among their own belongings. Therefore the Israelites are unable to stand before their enemies; they turn their backs to their enemies, because they have become a thing devoted for destruction themselves. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you" (v. 7:11-12).
Like Israel, we have to learn we have no power over our spiritual enemies when we continue to harbor the sin of the things devoted to destruction in our hearts. Like it or not, there is a relationship between spiritual victory and spiritual purity. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.... Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you" (James 4:7-10). "Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit" (Galatians 6:7-8).
Because they refused to put away the spoils of sin, the Israelites had "become a thing devoted to destruction themselves" (Joshua 7:12). But rather than reject them or leave them in the state of defeat they had chosen and caused to come upon themselves, You encouraged them through Joshua, saying, 'Sanctify yourselves ..." (Joshua 7:13). You exposed their sin and removed it from them (v. 7:22-26). Then they were able to defeat the very enemies they were previously powerless to overcome (Joshua 8:1-29).
Lord, as the Body and Bride of Christ, convict us of the sins we harbor in our hearts, cleanse us from the things devoted to destruction. Sanctify us and purify us, that we may have Your nature in our hearts and Your victory in our lives. Let us be a people devoted to resurrection rather than destruction. Let us be devoted to You in every dimension of our lives, to know Your peace in the fullness of our inheritance: "May the God of peace Himself sanctify (us) entirely; and may (our) spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonian 5:23). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I pray you will be set free and sanctified from everything that would bring you defeat in your spiritual journey to maturity in Christ. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
