"You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it." Joshua 7:13b
The first battle for the people of
Israel traveling from Egypt was at Jericho, once they crossed the Jordan River.
God had given them a great victory at Jericho, and Joshua was now ready to move
to their next battle at Ai. After they spied out the enemy camp, they
determined they needed only a few thousand men to gain victory.
They went up against Ai only to
fail miserably. They lost 32 men in a battle that should have been an easy
victory, but instead they were forced to retreat. Joshua was devastated.
"Ah, Sovereign Lord, why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan
to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us?" (Josh. 7:7a)
In this case, the people fell short because they failed to uphold the standard
God had set for them. God had told them not to take any plunder from their
first battle. However, Achan hid some forbidden treasures, and God was now
judging the entire nation for one man's sin.
Whenever we act without God's
complete blessing on our activity, we can expect God to thwart our plans. God's
word to Joshua was that he could not stand against his enemies as long as there
was disobedience among his troops.
Whenever we launch a business
endeavor, we should make sure there are no unclean things in our dealings that
would allow us to be vulnerable to a failed effort: unpaid vendors, disgruntled
employees who were not treated fairly, lawsuits, dishonesty. Many of these
things can hinder God from blessing our enterprises. These things can remove
the shield of protection from our workplace, which God wants to bless, but
cannot because He is committed to upholding righteousness. His name is
blemished when unrighteousness is allowed to permeate our lives.
Is the Lord able to bless your
enterprises today? If not, you may need to go back and clean up a few things
before He can do so. Take whatever steps are needed to ensure the blessing of
God today.
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