Joshua 8
ScriptureJoshua 8:2You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves.Observation - What does it say?When conquering Jericho, God commanded Israel to destroy everything in the city and not keep any plunder for themselves. But now in Ai, God allowed them to take all the plunder they wanted. If Achan would have waited just a few more days, he could have had all the riches he could imagine! Instead, he ran ahead of God and took what was forbidden and ended up paying the ultimate price.Understanding - What does it mean?Waiting on God and trusting him results in the greatest blessing!Every sin comes from an attempt to meet a felt need. We don’t want to wait on God so we take matters into our own hands. And, as a result, we exchange the lasting pleasure God offers for the temporary pleasure of sin.If we could just learn to wait on God and let Him lead and bring into our lives the things that need to be there, we would be far better off. Unfortunately, our flesh wants what it wants and it wants it now! It doesn't want to wait.
Consider Esau forsaking his birthright because he was hungry in the moment, or David committing adultery with Bathsheba when God had told him, “And if all I had given you had been too little, I would have given you even more” (2 Samuel 12:8).
Regardless of the desire we have, we will be far better off if we wait on the Lord to bring that thing into our life – spouse, finances, ministry, etc. God’s timing is perfect, he knows exactly what we need and he is working everything together for our good.
Life ApplicationLearn to wait on God.
God, forgive me for the times I grow impatient and seek to take matters into my own hands. Help us to be a people who trust your goodness and wait patiently for you to satisfy our every need and longing. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope (Psalm 130:5). Amen.
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- Levi Thompson