As Israel’s leader, Joshua felt defeat at a greater level than the army of Israel or the Israelites. In verse 6, we read that Joshua tore his clothes, he and the elders fell to the earth facedown, and put dust on their heads. The act demonstrated by Joshua and the elders indicated a form of grief and mourning. Joshua was so distraught that he uttered words that revealed his perception of the Lord when he was faced with adversity.  In verse 7, Joshua bitterly asked the Lord why He brought the Israelites across the Jordan only to be given to the Amorites to be destroyed. Joshua went on to say, in regret and remorse, that he preferred that he and the Israelites had remained as they were. Ironically, Joshua’s statement was similar, if not identical, to the Israelites’ repeated cries, complaints, and ingratitude against the Lord, which Moses encountered during his leadership. In a moment of defeat and feelings of failure, Joshua dismissed all that the Lord had done for the Israelites in the wilderness and most recently during his leadership at Jericho.  Joshua succumbed to the temptation and suggestions of doubt against the Lord. From his statement, he not only fell to the ground on his face before the ark of the Lord, but he also briefly fell downward in his faith in the Lord, and began to accuse the Lord of delivering them to destruction. This is also a lesson for us. Anyone, literally anyone, can spiral downward in their faith in the Lord. For this reason, we cannot afford to allow the lies presented to us, that are against the holy and pure nature and character of God, to dwell in our hearts and minds. When we do, those thoughts do not remain stagnant as they are, but they grow into a bitterness that begins to turn against the very One who loves and cares for us more than anyone ever can or ever will.  We also see that during our most vulnerable times, we tend to focus on the adversity, pain, defeat, and the circumstances we dislike or don’t want at the time, rather than the truth of God’s word, who He says He is, what He has done, and what He has promised. When we begin to desire the things of the past that God delivered us from, it reveals our true thoughts about the Lord and our distrust. In Joshua’s case, he spoke of the previous days, which were ones where they experienced victory in battles and conquest. Even if he had thoughts of wanting to revert to anything other than his current position, he was desiring what was contrary to the will of God. God’s will was that he and the Israelites were across the Jordan, not in the state they were in before crossing the Jordan.  Today, reflect on some of the circumstances God has allowed in your life, and also reflect on your reactions and responses to those circumstances. Did you respond as Joshua did? If so, you can start to change how you respond by clinging to the Scriptures that tell you who God is, the purpose of trials and adversity, and the truth about God’s unwavering, infinite love for us.
My prayer for you: Father, we thank You that You love us. We thank You for Your Word. Please help us to trust You regardless of our circumstances. Examine our hearts. If You find anything that is not like You and displeases You, please uproot it. Teach us to cling to Your Word, renew our minds, and replace the lies of the enemy with the truth of Your Word. Teach us not to dwell or meditate on lies, but to dwell, meditate, and speak Your truth, for Your Word is truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Comments are closed.
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