Beyond our victories. Beyond our defeats. Beyond our somewhere-in-the-middles. If we hope to fulfill God’s destiny in our lives, we must refuse to settle for anything less than God’s plan. But sometimes it’s easy to get stuck.

Israel got stuck after the victory at Jericho. It had been a magnificent feat. You know the story. The people marched around the city for seven days, then on the seventh day, with a blast of the trumpet and a shout from the army, the walls of Jericho disintegrated. The city fell, giving Israel their first triumph on the road to the Promised Land. But it was almost their last. They got stuck in their success. Unknown to them, the waves of winning had left a deposit of sin. They settled for not seeking the Lord before the next battle at Ai, and the consequences proved devastating (Joshua 7:11-12).

I have a friend who freely admits how he can get “stuck” when all is going well. Success in his business tends to lessen his pursuit of God. Like Israel, his natural tendency shifts from reliance on God to himself, especially if the next project is one he thinks he can handle on his own. He settles for what he can do rather than pushing on toward something higher, something exceedingly better. I know others who get stuck after defeat. Rather than trusting God to bring redemption, they focus on their failure, echoing Israel’s complaint, “Why did you bring us this far to let us fall?”

Do you fall into either of these camps? You don’t have to. Neither do I. The Holy Spirit will always help us get unstuck. Ask him. Don’t settle for anything less than the Promised Land.

Lord Jesus, we are so grateful for all you have done in our lives. Forgive us when we fail to seek you for the next step. Help us to steadily trust you in the aftermath of both success and failure. May we not settle for anything less than your best in our lives.

Throughout the Day: Examine yourself before the Lord to see if you are stuck in any area. Then ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to something far better.



Tags: Daily Devotional Joshua 7
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