CAC Living Water Daily Devotional Guide

THE LIVING WATER
DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE

Thursday, January 6, 2022.

TOPIC: A THOROUGH SEARCH

Read Joshua 7:1-26
1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, a the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the LORD burned against the children of Israel.
2 Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
3 And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.”
4 So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai.
5 And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
6 Then Joshua tore his clothes, and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads.
7 And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? Oh, that we had been content, and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!
8 O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies?
9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear it, and surround us, and cut off our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
10 So the LORD said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?
11 Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff.
12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they have become doomed to destruction. Neither will I be with you anymore, unless you destroy the accursed from among you.
13 Get up, sanctify the people, and say, ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the LORD God of Israel: “ There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.”
14 In the morning therefore you shall be brought according to your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which the LORD takes shall come according to families; and the family which the LORD takes shall come by households; and the household which the LORD takes shall come man by man.
15 Then it shall be that he who is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done a disgraceful thing in Israel.’ ”
16 So Joshua rose early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken.
17 He brought the clan of Judah, and he took the family of the Zarhites; and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man, and Zabdi was taken.
18 Then he brought his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
19 Now Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I beg you, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
20 And Achan answered Joshua and said, “Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and this is what I have done:
21 When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”
22 So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was, hidden in his tent, with the silver under it.
23 And they took them from the midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.
24 Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the garment, the wedge of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor.
25 And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.
26 Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor b to this day.

MEMORISE:
O LORD, what shall I say when Israel turns its back before its enemies? (Joshua 7:8)

EXPOSITION
When things fail to be in the way they ought to be, there will be suspicion that something is definitely wrong somewhere and sensitive stakeholders will commence finding solution to the situation. There is a popular proverb in Yorubaland, which is translated thus, if the dog that wags its tail at its owner suddenly starts barking at him, there is definitely a cause for alarm! It therefore implies that if you fail to realise the normal usual result of embarking on a course of action, something is not right somewhere! It is wise therefore to look for reasons that has to be!
The Israelites, under the leadership of Joshua, were on their way to the Promised Land when they had to defeat Ai, shortly after their God-given heroics concerning the walls of Jericho (Josh. 6:20). The battle with the ‘infinitesimal’ country ought to be a walk over, for it was a very small country compared to those they had faced and defeated. However, Israel failed before Ai as their men fell terribly before the uncircumcised! What was wrong? Thank God for a sensitive and spiritual leader like Joshua. At once, the responsive leader commenced seeking God’s face because he knew they should not have lost to Ai, of all countries! Joshua’s timely digging deep on the matter produced positive result as Achan, their troubler and causer of disaffection, was exposed and expunged on time! (vv. 24-25).
What a sensitivity! Are you like this? Are you not too relaxed, unbothered and complacent? Some say there is no answer to the question the Psalmist asks in 11:3 “If the foundations are destroyed what shall the righteous do?” The answer is that the righteous has to respond by delving or digging deep into the faulty foundations. There has to be thorough search through timely fasting and prayer with action. The action or step next to the prayer and fasting is to carry out research on the problem. Some of us do not just care to ask questions concerning certain things that continue to happen in our lives! If you don’t ask the right question at the right time, you won’t get to the root of the matter. You must henceforth refuse to allow abnormal things to continue as normal things in your life, home, ministry and business without asking questions with the a view to finding a lasting solution. May every “Achan” in the camp of your life be exposed on time, even as you take proactive measures. Stay victorious, in Jesus name.

PRAYER POINTS:

1. Lord, search me through and help me to make necessary amends.
2. Lord, help me to be spiritually sensitive at all times.
3. Lord, expose all “Achans” in churches promoting Satan’s agenda, in Jesus’ name!

EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Genesis 18 – 20