Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
1 11 2023
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The great Joshua slipped because he was moved by what he saw! Part 2
Be On Guard!
If you recall the story from yesterday about Joshua, the Gibeonites pretended to be from a distant land and came to Israel because they heard all of what Joshua’s God had done in Egypt. In Joshua 9: They told Joshua that they had journeyed all the way to make a league with Israel, to become allies. Joshua and his council believed the deception and the people were not killed, because the Israelite community had given an oath in the name of God (verses 18–20); and (ii) though the Gibeonites are protected, they were condemned to be hewers of wood and drawers of water, and they were cursed (verses 21–23).
The problem was, God had told Joshua not to make an alliance with anyone. They were not to align themselves with non-Israelites.
The lesson for us is that the devil is deceptive and will use anything to convince God’s people to compromise. Satan is sly and seeks to sneak up on believers. He uses subtle ways to draw us from the things of God. Christians today need to remember that Satan will probably not try to get us to deny the entire Bible. He’s much more content to entice us to compromise in “small” ways. He tempts us to keep a little corner of our lives just for ourselves. Many compromise on who they date and/or who they marry.
One defeat does not lose the battle, and one victory does not win the war.
Joshua did not seek the counsel of God and, thus, failed to see the truth. It seems to be an obvious omission, but how easily do we fall into the same trap? Paul reminds us that the devil blinds people’s eyes to their need for the gospel, but he also seeks to blind believers, keeping them from turning their eyes to God (2 Cor. 4:4). We never arrive at the place where we do not need to read the Bible, pray, and commune with God. The devil seemingly tries to blind us most when we are trying our hardest.
Isn’t it a similar mindset that Sampson had regarding his prowess, his strength? Do you remember in judges 16:20 that after Delilah’s barbaric treachery, “Samson woke from his sleep, after she had cut his hair, saying to himself, I will go out like other times and shake myself free. but unbeknownst to him, he went out alone.“
I know you see where I am going here. How regrettable are these prayerless actions and petitionless seasons? We go out as before, in that same Sampson mindset, expecting God to be with us as before not knowing that he has withdrawn his blessings.
The truth is the temptation of self-sufficiency has overcome us, and we are left with “the dry and crumbly bread” of our disobedience. (Josh 9) And our loving father who gave us freedom will they let us take a few steps on our own and draw up this treaty or business plan without him. But before very long we are barreling forth in our own wisdom and energy to the injury of ourselves and others. And yes God gives us more grace but the cuts and bruises and injuries to ourselves and those around us still hurt.
Joshua and the elders of Israel trusted their eyes, forgetting to look to God in prayer for help with what their eyes could not see. Will we learn from them? Will we be willing to live in our service, looking to our heavenly father even in seemingly small matters? The Bible gives us many examples of men who went with their own judgment of what seemed clearly obvious without first seeking God.
Look at Jesus. If anyone could judge with his eyes… if anyone could charge out as before… if anyone could say, next year I will go out in such and such a town… it was the God-man Jesus.
But look at John 5:19 He said, “truly truly I say to you, the son can do nothing of his own accord but only what he sees the father doing.”
And all Jesus did, in choosing his disciples, and teaching in the synagogue or when he stopped along the road, his eyes never left his father. He inquired of his father at every step, even the bloody one that led up Golgotha’s hill “not my will, but yours be done”
I know that each of us wishes for a life exactly like that. Looking to Jesus, in all matters big and seemingly small. As we enter into this new season may I urge each of us to humble ourselves and then with childlike faith, rush to see our father even for the smallest request or even as an excuse to just go to him. Greg Morris said, “Jesus’s gracious throne of health is as near as a single Godward thought, about me, a desperate glance”
Why did God tell Joshua to be strong and courageous? Joshua was under enormous pressure and God offered these words of encouragement. So are we today walking in a wicked world of endless temptations?
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go.” God was calling Joshua to lead by following. He needed Joshua to courageously trust that God was in control.
I pray you’re willing to rethink your thinking. And humble yourself by asking God throughout your day …Lord talk to me, give me wisdom and help me to see with spirit eyes. Amen
Casting Crowns Voice of Truth
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Excerpts are taken from Greg Morris’s article The Secret Failure of Many Leaders
