Apr. 10, 2022

“STANDING ON THE PROMISE OF GOD”

“TURNING DEFEAT INTO VICTORY”

JOSHUA 8:1-8

What Are Some Of The Lessons We Can Learn From Defeat In Order For God To Turn Defeat Into Victory?

Seven Lessons We Can Learn:

1.   When You Encounter Defeat You Need To Get Alone With God.

Joshua 8:1 “Now the Lord said to Joshua,” When the Israelites went to Ai there was a spiritual carelessness and so often the defeats we face in life is because we get careless.

It is not usually the big crisis’ that lead to failure, it is when things are going good and we become careless. 

There is nothing more important in your life than your personal relationship (walk) with God.

John 15:1-11 

vs.3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”

vs.5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” 

Without Jesus Christ and abiding in Him we can do nothing! Nothing!

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.”

We need to make sure we measure everything we do to the Word of God and commit those things to God, and trust in Him.

Who initiates things in your life? You or God?

Proverbs 3:7 “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.”

We must begin our day with God! Don’t lean to your own understanding.

2 Corinthians 4:13 “And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak.”

Joshua 8:1 “Now the Lord said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.”

Joshua 6:2 “And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor.”

These are exactly the same things God said, God has a place, a plan, and a time and Israel got ahead of God with Ai. Our job is to follow God, not get out ahead of Him.

Joshua 8:8 “And it will be, when you have taken the city, that you shall set the city on fire. According to the commandment of the Lord you shall do. See, I have commanded you.”

You must be consistent in your daily walk with God!

2.   Never Dwell On Defeat.

Joshua 8:1 “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed…”

Joshua 7:5 “the hearts of the people melted and became like water.” This is what happens when you get ahead of God.

Just trust God and obey and move on.

Hebrew 12:1 “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

“Endurance” or patience has to do with pacing yourself.

Joshua 7:26 “Valley of Achor”- a place of trembling or judgment.

Hosea 2:15 “I will give her her vineyards from there, And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; She shall sing there, As in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.”

Hebrews 12:11 “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

When you encounter defeat, get alone with God. Never dwell on defeat.

3.   Never Give Less Than Your Best.

Joshua 8:1 “take all the people of war with you…”

Joshua 8:3 “So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them away by night.”

Joshua 8:24 “…that all the Israelites returned to Ai and struck it with the edge of the sword.”

They committed their all to the battle.

Consecration- implies you are giving it your all. Romans 12:1-2

If we are going to learn from defeat and gain the victory, we have to give nothing less than our best, total commitment:

Hebrews 4:9-11

God wants your all! Will you give it to Him? Jesus gave His all!

4.   Always Give God The First Fruits

Joshua 8:2 “And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.”

Exodus 23:19 “The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.”

2 Corinthians 8:5 “And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.”

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

God promises to take care of us and supply our needs and all He asks of us is to be His firstfruits.

When you encounter defeat, get alone with God.

Never dwell on defeat.

Never give less than your best.

Always give the first fruits to God.