You're A Failure

You’re a failure. I am a failure. At some point in our lives we have all failed at one thing or another. Some failures are more affordable than others. By that I mean the consequences of some failures in comparison are not as bad as others. On the other hand, other consequences are very consequential and in some cases deadly. 

Israel had entered the land of Canaan and had conquered the majority of the land. Joshua had just died at the end of Joshua 24. In Judges 1, we find Israel continuing to purge the land of the inhabitants. However, in Judges 1:27ff we see Israel fail. Israel is failing to complete the conquest, to finish killing the inhabitants of the land as God commanded them. He told them to drive them out of the land so the Canaanites would not influence Israel negatively (they were a pagan people with many gods). In some cases Israel put the Canaanites into slavery but other times they merely left them alone to live in the land. In one instance, found in verse 34, some Israelites were forced to leave the land by some Canaanites because they did not destroy them! Israel had failed. It was a failure that would cost most of them lives through the years and a great number would even lose their most valuable possession: their souls. 

We must be careful to not have a failure such as the Israelites. Thomas Edison often had a great outlook on failures: “If I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward....” This is the attitude we must have if we do not want to be as the Israelites. The Israelites failed, and they let that failure get the best of them. Instead of correcting their mistakes and short comings they just stay where they are and sink deeper. With an attitude like Edison’s we are able to take one step forward and keep going with life. 

T= R + D

Have you ever put your trust in someone to perhaps keep a promise but they didn’t? Maybe you have trusted someone to do what was right but they didn’t? So often we seem to be misplacing our trust. Perhaps it’s simply because the people we place our trust in are unreliable? Maybe that’s is just that; they are people. People are unreliable because “ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). If we are unable to put our trust in people then who should we trust in?

Caleb was one of the 12 spies sent into the land of Canaan to see what it was like when Israel first came to the promised land (Numbers 13:1-16). However, only he and Joshua came back with a good report that said, “The land is good and we have God on our side. He has promised it to us. We can take it!” Caleb and Joshua trusted in God to keep His promises and deliver them. As a result, God blessed Caleb and allowed him to enter the promise land and blesses him immensely (Joshua 14:6-15). 

Caleb put his trust in a reliable source: God. Only in God should we put our trust because only God is able to give us life. When we put our trust in the only reliable One, He will bless us with an immense blessing. 

What Can God Do With You?

   In Joshua 2, when the Israelites entered into the promised land of Canaan Joshua sends 2 spies into the city of Jericho to spy out the city. It is interesting to note that 40 years earlier 12 spies entered into the land and only 2 came back with a favorable report and the trust in God. Now, Joshua sends only 2 spies into the land. When the spies enter Jericho the king finds out the spies had entered his city. He goes to find them but they are hiding in the house of a citizen of the city. Her name is Rahab and she is a prostitute. Rahab hides these men on the roof of her house and lies to the kings men in order to try to save the spies’ lives. 

Rahab then confesses her belief in God and His power to the spies and asks for a guarantee of safety for her and her family when Israel destroys the city. The spies agree and Rahab and her family is saved when Jericho is destroyed. 

Rahab is later integrated into the Israelite nation and become one of God’s chosen people. She marries a man named Salmon and has a child named Boaz. He later marries Ruth and their child is Obed. He is the father of Jesse who is the father of David. The same David who becomes king of Israel and through whom Jesus Christ comes into the world many years later. 

If God will bring His one and only Son into the world through the lineage of a prostitute what do you think God would be able to do with you? No matter your past or present situation in life, God can use you. When you become a child of God, as Rahab did, He will be able to do wonderful works through your life. Whatever circumstances you may find yourself in, remember Rahab and ask yourself, “What can God do with me?”

Don't Judge Me

As the old cliche goes, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” Have you ever judged someone before you knew them? Perhaps it’s that waitress whose work is seemingly a little sloppy or lazy and you write her off as a poor worker. Maybe it is the kid who comes onto the city bus decked out in black clothes and long hair, and you write him off as someone you wouldn’t want to get to know. There are numerous other situations that could be used; but you know you have judged someone before you knew them at some point in your life.

There is a similar incident that occurs in scripture in Joshua 22 beginning in verse 10. In this text we find the people of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh have returned to their home after conquering the rest of Canaan. Their home is on the east side of the Jordan River. When these tribes arrive at the river, they build a large altar as a memorial. It was to help the generations after them to understand that all the children of Israel, those on the east and west side, belong to the same Lord and God (Joshua 22:26-28). 

Despite the good intentions of these tribes, they were misunderstood. All of Israel heard that they had built this altar and assumed it was an act of rebellion against God. Israel gathers up themselves to make war against these alleged rebellious brothers. When Israel arrives at the Jordan River and meet the other tribes. They confront them and accuse them of rebellion. Israel soon finds out that their assumption were false. 

In contrast, we so often don’t ever find out if our assumptions are true or not. That one person, we judge before we know them, may be the one person who could have the greatest impact on our physical lives or even our spiritual lives. I encourage us all to work on not judging people before we get to know them.