The First Thing You Ask Yourself...

Do you ever wonder why things don’t work out? There are many reasons. Here in Joshua chapter 7 we read about Ai chasing the Israelites away from their town. The mighty Israelite army being chased away from a ragtag town of fewer people. Joshua was confused as to why this happened. God told him it was because someone in the clan of Judah had stolen that which belonged to the Lord. The reason why God allowed the inhabitants of Ai to chase them out was because of this “hidden sin”. In verse 13 it says, “... You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you”. I know this isn’t the only reason why people don’t succeed, but it should be the first thing you examine in your life when things aren’t going right. It should be the first thing you ask yourself before making any type of commitment to God. Hidden sin harbors resistance to God. You’ll never defeat your enemies until it is honestly dealt with first.

13 “Get up! Command the people to purify themselves in preparation for tomorrow. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Hidden among you, O Israel, are things set apart for the Lord. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you. Joshua 7:13