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Super Bowl Stars

Super Bowl Sunday!! Only a few days away.

I know this has millions of people’s attention. I’m not a big football fan and I must admit I know very little about the two teams playing. I couldn’t name one player on either team.

I do appreciate good sportsmanship, the talent of the players and good strategy. So I may watch part of it. However, it does remind me that each one of us is in a much more important game. The game of our lives. We are each starring in our own Super Bowl. And the choice of who wins is ours.

“Today I am giving you a choice of two ways. And I ask heaven and earth to be witnesses of your choice. You can choose life or death. The first choice will bring a blessing. The other choice will bring a curse. So choose life! Then you and your children will live.” Deuteronomy 30:19 ERV

We’ve got the best coach and He will give us game winning plays; we just need to tune in to His directions.

“Always remember what is written in that book of law. Speak about that book and study it day and night. Then you can be sure to obey what is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything you do. 9 Remember, I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9 ERV

Our quarterback has never lost a game. He’s been bloody in battle but He played through the pain and came out the victor when the final gun was fired.

“We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. 3 Think about Jesus. He patiently endured the angry insults that sinful people were shouting at him. Think about him so that you won’t get discouraged and stop trying.” Hebrews 12:2-3 ERV

So here’s to winning the big game and receiving the crown of victory!

“Then I heard a voice from heaven shout, ‘Our God has shown his saving power, and his kingdom has come. God’s own Chosen One has shown his authority. Satan accused our people in the presence of God day and night. Now he has been thrown out!

11 Our people defeated Satan because of the blood of the Lamb and the message of God. They were willing to give up their lives.” Revelation 12:10-11 CEV

“The man who does not give up when tests come is happy. After the test is over, he will receive the crown of life. God has promised this to those who love Him.” James 1:12 NLV

WE WIN!!!!

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This Shouldn’t Be

For the last week I have been reading about the way the Lord delivered the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. The miracles that God did are amazing. Each time I read this account I am absolutely confounded by the hard-hearted stubbornness of the Pharaoh. He was more willing to see his entire nation suffer than release the Israelites.

The Lord sent ten disastrous events before Pharaoh agreed to their departure and then after they had been gone a couple days, he went after them with soldiers and chariots. The Lord placed a protective cloud between the Israelites and Egyptians. Moses was able to lead them to safety and the Egyptians drown.

It didn’t take more than a few days for the Israelites to start complaining. They had just experienced a miraculous deliverance and now they were disgruntled by the conditions they encountered in the desert and were very vocal about it. Are you kidding me? God just moved heaven and earth to take them out of bondage and all they could do was complain. I think what they meant to say was “thank you”.

“Humans have control over every kind of wild animal, bird, reptile, and fish, and they have controlled all these things. 8 But no one can control the tongue. It is wild and evil, full of deadly poison. 9 We use our tongues to praise our Lord and Father, but then we curse people who were created in God’s likeness. 10 These praises and curses come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, this should not happen.” James 3:7-10 ERV

We would never do anything like this right? They complained about the water; they griped about being in the desert; they murmured because there was no bread or meat. Each time they complained Moses would pray, God would provide but they were never really grateful. At the least little inconvenience they would complain again.

“The people had complained and tested the Lord by asking, “Is the Lord really with us?” So Moses named that place Massah, which means “testing” and Meribah, which means “complaining.” Exodus 17:7 CEV

Ok. So let’s get personal. We can criticize the Israelites for their complaining but what about us? “Grocery prices are too high; Washington is all messed up; it’s too hot/too cold; if one thing breaks, watch out cuz there’ll be two or three more before its over.” As a friend of mine says some people will complain because their ice cream is cold! True enough.

We get so caught up in what’s happening in this very second that we forget the blessings and provisions of the Lord from yesterday or last week. Maybe we don’t use these words but our attitude can be very similar to the Israelites when they said, “Is the Lord really with us?”.

In yesterday’s teaching I asked you to choose joy. Did you? Were you able to find things to be happy about and grateful for or did you complain? The Israelites ended up wandering around in the desert for forty years because of their complaining. We should learn from them.

“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy.” Philippians 4:4 ERV

It takes discipline but with the Lord’s help we can tame our tongue. We can control the words that come out of our mouths. When a complaint starts to rise, replace it with words of praise. Be thankful.

“Yes, it is God who is working in you. He helps you want to do what pleases him, and he gives you the power to do it.

14 Do everything without complaining or arguing 15 so that you will be blameless and pure, children of God without any fault. But you are living with evil people all around you, who have lost their sense of what is right. Among those people you shine like lights in a dark world,” Philippians 2:13-15 ERV

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Choose Joy

I was up quite early this morning and I have been enjoying the quiet. I asked the Lord, as I so often do, what will this day have in store? Sometimes He gives me a glimpse into my day but most of the time it is a walk of faith.

God has given us the power to set the tone of our day by the choices we make. We can get up dreading what may come or we can choose to be joyful no matter what may come. I’m not talking about an empty-headed, irresponsible or irrational type of mindless thought. Not at all. But I am saying if we focus on God’s greatness and love, we will be able to handle anything that invades our day and still remain joyful.

“But let all who put their trust in You be glad. Let them sing with joy forever. You make a covering for them, that all who love Your name may be glad in You. 12 For You will make those happy who do what is right, O Lord. You will cover them all around with Your favor.” Psalm 5:11-12 NLV

Each one of us have multiple opportunities each day to lose our joy. They can come via email, text, phone call, personal interaction or old memories. It’s up to us whether we allow those things to steal our joy.

“May honor and thanks be given to the Lord, because He has heard my prayer. 7 The Lord is my strength and my safe cover. My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. So my heart is full of joy. I will thank Him with my song. 8 The Lord is the strength of His people. He is a safe place for His chosen one.” Psalm 28:6-8 NLV

Right before Jesus was crucified He was talking to his disciples and He told them things were going to get bad. In fact, He said that all of them would leave him; when he needed them the most they would abandon Him. However, He went on to say, the Father would be with Him so He wouldn’t be alone. That my friend is a reason to have peace and joy. When we’re in the Father’s presence there is reason for joy.

“Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:32-33 NKJV

What I hear Jesus saying is this, “you are going to face troubles, trials and disappointments but keep your joy and stay close to Me because I have overcome all that the world can throw at you”. That’s my paraphrase on those verses.

There isn’t anything too big for God, there isn’t anything that He can’t handle so today I will choose joy and in that joy I will find strength.

“Today is a special day to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of the Lord will make you strong.” Nehemiah 8:10 ERV

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A Word of Thanks

I want to share with you the good news I received yesterday. I went for my post-op visit with the surgeon who performed my back procedure just over two weeks ago. He said everything looked good and was healing well. I still have a couple weeks of taking it easy but all is well. The procedure was successful and I am back to living a normal, pain-free life.

Thank you for all your prayers. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. Thank you to everyone who has helped and offered to help. I love you all.

Thank you Lord for giving the medical world this knowledge that can help so many.

“Tell the Lord how thankful you are,  because he is kind and always merciful. 2 Let Israel shout,   “God is always merciful!” 3 Let the family of Aaron the priest shout, “God is always merciful!” 4 Let every true worshiper of the Lord shout, “God is always merciful!” 5 When I was really hurting, I prayed to the Lord. He answered my prayer, and took my worries away.” Psalm 118:1-5 CEV

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Search and Rescue

It’s truly interesting the way the mind works. Sitting here this morning praying and thinking about what to share I remembered an experience I had when I was about six or seven years old. I had shared this account a few years back on my Facebook page and for whatever reason I feel it’s something the Lord wants me to share again this morning.

Search and Rescue!

There is great comfort in those words but you won’t truly know that feeling of being saved unless you have been genuinely lost. I have!

When I was a small girl my Dad and I went to the grocery store one Saturday morning. My Mom had a short list of things but she was busy at home so Daddy went and I got to tag along. When we got to the store, we began to go up and down each aisle looking for the things on Mom’s list.

I don’t know if I stopped to look at something or if Daddy did but next thing I knew I was alone. I went an aisle over and one back but no Daddy. My heart began to sink and I felt fear coming over me. (Obviously it was real – I can still remember it today some 50+ years later.)

Now I started to panic. Where was he? He was gone and I was all alone. I did have the sense to go outside and see that our car was still there so I knew Daddy wasn’t GONE. I went back inside to search some more, no Daddy. Finally I went to the cash register and told the lady I couldn’t find my Dad.

She was so sweet. She got on the intercom and announced in the store that there was a lost daddy in the store and his little girl was waiting for him at the registers. In just moments I saw my Dad come around the corner. I was found…I was rescued!

Jesus had some good stories to tell about things being lost and then found.

“Then Jesus told them this story: 4 “Suppose one of you has 100 sheep, but one of them gets lost. What will you do? You will leave the other 99 sheep there in the field and go out and look for the lost sheep. You will continue to search for it until you find it. 5 And when you find it, you will be very happy. You will carry it home, go to your friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep!’ 7 In the same way, I tell you, heaven is a happy place when one sinner decides to change. There is more joy for that one sinner than for 99 good people who don’t need to change.

8 “Suppose a woman has ten silver coins, but she loses one of them. She will take a light and clean the house. She will look carefully for the coin until she finds it. 9 And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I have found the coin that I lost!’ 10 In the same way, it’s a happy time for the angels of God when one sinner decides to change.” Luke 15:3-10 CEV

Well, this is exactly what our heavenly Father is doing for us. Without a relationship with Christ we are lost and God searches for us. I get tickled when I hear the phrase “I found the Lord”. I know what the people mean but God isn’t the one who needed to be found. We are the ones who were lost.

In both of these stories the shepherd and the woman were looking for something that had belonged to them but had gotten lost. They searched diligently until they found it.

I’ve had times when I’ve gotten lost in life. Maybe you have too. Lost in a medical diagnosis or a financial crisis. Sometimes we get lost when we lose a job or a loved one. Possibly we get lost in our own ego and pride. Whatever it is that draws us away, the Father is here and He’s looking for us. He will find us. Just like I saw my dad coming around the corner we’ll see Him coming and we’ll be safe in His arms.

Then there will be a time of great joy. Joy for us and for the Father. How do I know?

Well the story that follows these two examples is one of my favorites in the Bible. It’s about a man with two sons, one of them gets lost in the world and the Father looks for his son each day, waiting for him to come home. When he does come home the Father welcomes him with open arms and throws him a party.

” My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost, but now he is found!’ So they began to have a party.” Luke 15:24 ERV

Search and Rescue complete!


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Everyone Has Reason to Sing

“Bless the Lord oh my soul – oooooooooo my soul and worship  His holy name. Bless the Lord oh my soul, oh my soul and worship His holy name!” Those are some of the lyrics to a song written by Matt Redman called 10,000 Reasons.

I love waking up singing praise to the Father! I know He likes it too. The Psalms tell us that He inhabits the praises of His people, that means He lives within our praise. I love it – just love it. We all have reason to praise.

Yes, we do…

If God has been doing amazing things in our lives we have reason to praise. If we have been going through a particularly dry spell we have reason to praise and if we are living in a disaster zone right now, we have reason to praise.

If you are at a time when you are experiencing God’s overwhelming goodness these verses may reflect the gratitude you have in your heart. These are only a few verses from this chapter. The whole chapter is filled with so many wonderful reasons to praise the Lord.

“With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all that I am I praise his holy name! 2 With all my heart I praise the Lord! I will never forget how kind he has been. 3 The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, 4  and protects us from death. His kindness and love are a crown on our heads. 5 Each day that we live, he provides for our needs and gives us the strength of a young eagle.” Psalm 103:1-5 CEV

For those who think life has been dry and unproductive – nothing is happening, not good or bad, let these verses speak to you.

“The poor and needy look for water, but they cannot find any. Their tongues are dry with thirst. I, the Lord, will answer their prayers. I, the God of Israel, will not leave them to die. 18 I will make rivers flow on dry hills.  I will make springs of water flow through the valleys. I will change the desert into a lake filled with water. There will be springs of water in that dry land. 19 I will make trees grow in the desert. There will be cedar, acacias, olive trees, cypress, fir trees, and pines.” Isaiah 41:17-19 ERV

And for those who have been going through some really rough stuff lately here are some instructions for praising the Lord that will bring you to a place of peace.

“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy. 5 Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:4-7 ERV

Now for anyone who doesn’t feel they’ve been included above, we have David’s instruction in Psalm 34.

“I will always praise the Lord. 2 With all my heart, I will praise the Lord. Let all who are helpless, listen and be glad. 3 Honor the Lord with me! Celebrate his great name.” Psalm 34:1-3 CEV

Praise brings strength to our lives. As I said at the beginning, the Lord inhabits the praise of His people. Almighty God comes to brings us life, joy and peace as we praise Him.

Want more joy – want more strength? Begin to praise the Father who created you – the Savior who died for you and the Holy Spirit who indwells you with power!

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No More Patches

Quite often Dave and I will use a line from the movie Lonesome Dove when it comes to our wardrobe. “No point in givin’ up on a garment just cuz it’s got a little age on it”. Well, the other day I had to do just that – give up on a garment.

I had a pair of jeans I’ve been wearing for the last ten to twelve years. They were just so comfortable and fit me like a glove. The hems were worn off where I had walked on them with my boots, the back pocket rivet had pulled away from the fabric and they were patched where I caught them on a barbed wire fence. The belt loops were pulling free but the final determination came when the zipper broke. They served me well and I hated to see them go but go they must.

This morning I was reading in Mark 2 and I had to stop and ponder, I love that word, what Jesus was saying here.

“No one patches old clothes by sewing on a piece of new cloth. The new piece would shrink and tear a bigger hole.” Mark 2:21 CEV

When I read that I thought of the pants I mentioned above and in my heart I said “Lord, but I loved those old patched pants”. What am I supposed to be learning here? As soon as I asked that question this thought came to mind.

“For if a man belongs to Christ, he is a new person. The old life is gone. New life has begun.” II Corinthians 5:17 NLV

When we accept Christ as our Savior we receive an entirely new life. God doesn’t take our old life and patch it up; He gives us something completely new. Now, if you’re like me and those jeans, I was glad to have them patched because I was comfortable with them. I liked the fit. It was ok they had a few patches.

But God has better things in store for us. He has designed a life for us using the things we love, our talents and abilities. He gives us something new and wonderful. It fits better and looks better and He gives it to us as a free gift. This new life is designer quality and custom fit.

“When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with him because of your faith in God’s power. God’s power was shown when he raised Christ from death.

13 You were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self. But God gave you new life together with Christ. He forgave all our sins.” Colossians 2:13ERV

Christ is our example of what this new life looks like. He showed us how to love the Father and love the people that God created. He showed us how to walk in forgiveness and victory.

“You were raised from death with Christ. So live for what is in heaven, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Think only about what is up there, not what is here on earth. 3 Your old self has died, and your new life is kept with Christ in God. 4 Yes, Christ is now your life, and when he comes again, you will share in his glory.” Colossians 3:1-4 ERV

Amazing! I have a new life. A life where all my sins are forgiven. God isn’t condemning me for my past. He has wiped that out and has given me a new life in Christ.

Thank you Father that you didn’t patch up my old life. Thank you for giving me something completely new!

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Big Announcement – Great News

This is the best news you will ever receive. God loves you and He’s on your side!!

“So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things.” Romans 8:31-32 ERV

In my reading this morning the Israelites were crying out to the Lord because they were being treated so badly by the Egyptians. God spoke to Moses and told him to tell the people He had heard their cry and was sending him, Moses, to bring their deliverance.

Great News!

God is in the Good News business. When Jesus birth was announced by the angels they said this was “good tidings of great joy” – good news. Jesus even said that he came to bring good news to the people.

“… ‘We must go to the nearby towns, so that I can tell the good news to those people. This is why I have come.’” Mark 1:38 CEV

The good news that Jesus brought to every town was healing the sick, delivering those who were demon possessed and forgiving sin. Jesus came to establish a reconciliation between man and God. Very good news!

You can imagine how excited I got when I started reading these verses in Colossians. I know this is a lot of reading and I don’t normally give lengthy Scriptures for you to read but this is really GREAT NEWS!

“I ask God that you may know what He wants you to do. I ask God to fill you with the wisdom and understanding the Holy Spirit gives. 10 Then your lives will please the Lord. You will do every kind of good work, and you will know more about God. 11 I pray that God’s great power will make you strong, and that you will have joy as you wait and do not give up. 12 I pray that you will be giving thanks to the Father. He has made it so you could share the good things given to those who belong to Christ who are in the light. 13 God took us out of a life of darkness. He has put us in the holy nation of His much-loved Son. 14 We have been bought by His blood and made free. Our sins are forgiven through Him.

15 Christ is as God is. God cannot be seen. Christ lived before anything was made. 16 Christ made everything in the heavens and on the earth. He made everything that is seen and things that are not seen. He made all the powers of heaven. Everything was made by Him and for Him. 17 Christ was before all things. All things are held together by Him. 18 Christ is the head of the church which is His body. He is the beginning of all things. He is the first to be raised from the dead. He is to have first place in everything. 19 God the Father was pleased to have everything made perfect by Christ, His Son. 20 Everything in heaven and on earth can come to God because of Christ’s death on the cross. Christ’s blood has made peace. 21 At one time you were strangers to God and your minds were at war with Him. Your thoughts and actions were wrong. 22 But Christ has brought you back to God by His death on the cross. In this way, Christ can bring you to God, holy and pure and without blame. 23 This is for you if you keep the faith. You must not change from what you believe now. You must not leave the hope of the Good News you received. The Good News was preached to you and to all the world. And I, Paul, am one of Christ’s missionaries.” Colossians 1:9-23 NLV

God desires that we know His strength, experience His power and be filled with His joy. Christ came to make the relationship between us and God perfect. By his death on the cross we have peace with God. God, the Father, isn’t mad at us; He loves us!

Great News!

Because of his death on the cross, Jesus brought us to the Father cleansed, holy and pure, without blame. God sees us pure because of Jesus. Christ made everything perfect and made a way for us to come to the Father. Our sins are forgiven.

Great News!

Extra, Extra read all about it! God loves us and He’s on our side!!!



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Always Faithful

I don’t consider myself old however, I am more aged than some. I would rather say that I have experienced life, it’s joys and it’s sorrows. The thing I appreciate most about where I am on the numeric scale of years is my memory; the ability to recall situations, circumstances and events.

My earliest recollections are from a house we lived in on Avenue C in Yuma. It had a large date palm tree in the front yard. We had a small seven inch TV with foil on the rabbit ears to improve the reception. I remember the house always being filled with friends. Somewhere in there I became aware of nuclear threat. Must have been something on the news that invaded the conversation of the adults.

Anyway, I remember going outside and looking up at the sky and saying something like this “Dear Jesus, if the bomb comes I will come to heaven with you. Ok?”

I had such a sense of peace and security because I knew God was big enough to take care of things. All the Bible stories I had heard in Sunday School taught me that God loved me and He would take care of me. I know I didn’t understand the magnitude of God’s faithfulness but it was real to me all the same.

I don’t know why that memory came back to me this morning. I was thinking about God’s faithfulness; remembering times when He provided and protected in the past. I was praying for friends and family who need to see that God is faithfully involved in working out their tough situations.

I was also reading in Exodus where the Israelites were enslaved by the Egyptians and they cried out to God for deliverance. And then the words of the old hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness, began to flood my heart and my mind.

“When your people worshiped, you know I told them, “Our Lord always helps!” 10 When all your people met, I did not keep silent. I said, “Our Lord is kind. He is faithful and caring, and he saves us.” 11 You, Lord, never fail to have pity on me; your love and faithfulness always keep me secure.” Psalm 40:9-11 CEV

Your love and faithfulness always keep me secure!

I have no idea what you or I will face today but I do know that God’s faithfulness will keep us secure!

“It is because of the Lord’s loving-kindness that we are not destroyed for His loving-pity never ends. 23 It is new every morning. He is so very faithful. 24 “The Lord is my share.” says my soul, “so I have hope in Him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 NLV

New every morning – we can’t exhaust the faithfulness of God. His loving-kindness never ends. He is always faithful.

“I will sing forever about the Lord’s love.  I will sing about his faithfulness forever and ever! 2 I will say, “Your faithful love will last forever. Your loyalty is like the sky—there is no end to it!” Psalm 89:1-2 ERV

So, join with me in singing this morning; on your way to the breakfast table, in the shower, on your way to work. Let’s sing because our God is always faithful!

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love

Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside

Thank you Father for your faithfulness!

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Thrill of Victory

My day didn’t start out as I had planned. I actually slept in this morning and had no real motivation to get moving. Dave asked if I had written my blog yet and I told him no, but I knew before the day was out the Lord would give me something to share.

Here it is!

We’ve spent several days this week with Joshua. The Lord told him to be courageous and strong. He had a big task before him. His first triumph was at Jericho. All that marching and trumpet blowing brought success.

But then…

This is what happened to the children of Israel after they defeated Jericho. The Lord told them all of the spoils they took when they defeated Jericho were His. Achan, one of the men, took some gold, silver and a fine robe and hid them in his tent.

A few days after Jericho, Joshua got the army together and they went to battle to defeat the next city which was Ai. Ai was a smaller city than Jericho and they were riding high from their victory only to be defeated.

“Joshua sent about three thousand soldiers to attack Ai. But the men of Ai fought back and chased the Israelite soldiers away from the town gate and down the hill to the stone quarries. Thirty-six Israelite soldiers were killed, and the Israelite army felt discouraged.” Joshua 7:4-5 CEV

Now Joshua goes to the Lord and he’s upset. He tells the Lord how all his enemies will hear about this defeat and they will be emboldened to fight the Israelites. They, their enemies, will feel that God isn’t fighting for them or with them any more.

Disobedient -> Defeated -> Discouraged. Have you ever been there? Joshua couldn’t understand how God could abandon them like this.

God showed Joshua who had stolen items that were supposed to be destroyed. Achan was brought before Joshua and he admitted his disobedience and his deception. Achan was killed for stealing what God said should have been destroyed.

Joshua has to pick up from there and go on. Back to Ai – and this is what the Lord says.

“The Lord told Joshua:
Don’t be afraid, and don’t be discouraged by what happened at the town of Ai. Take the army and attack again. But first, have part of the army set up an ambush on the other side of the town. I will help you defeat the king of Ai and his army, and you will capture the town and the land around it. Destroy Ai and kill its king as you did at Jericho. But you may keep the livestock and everything else you want.” Joshua 8:1-2 CEV

God reminds Joshua of the original command; don’t be afraid, don’t be discouraged. Stand strong, be courageous. So they go against Ai again and this time they are victorious!

When we face defeat because of our own disobedience God wants us to deal with our disobedience and listen to Him. When we do we can go back and defeat the enemy. It would have been easy for Joshua to pick another city to fight against to gain the land but the Lord sent him back to the same city, the same king but this time the results were different.

“Finally, the Lord told Joshua, “Point your sword at the town of Ai, because now I am going to help you defeat it!” Joshua 8:18 CEV

Joshua met an angel before the battle at Jericho and asked the angel of the Lord whose side he was on – his answer rang clear. I’m not for you or for your enemy, I’m on the Lord’s side.

“One day, Joshua was near Jericho when he saw a man standing some distance in front of him. The man was holding a sword, so Joshua walked up to him and asked, “Are you on our side or on our enemies’ side?”

14 “Neither,” he answered. “I am here because I am the commander of the Lord’s army.” Joshua 5:13-14 CEV

The instruction is plain; be obedient, fight the battle, win the victory!

“What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? 32 God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else?” Romans 8:31-32 CEV

Get up -> Go forward -> Get the victory!

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