May 16

This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you whatever is devoted to destruction. — Josh 7:12 BSB

This is the only record in the Book of Joshua of a lost battle. The word “therefore” shows that it was sin that caused this defeat—a secret sin, and the sin of just one individual. How little we know about the true causes of the failures we see around us!

We all have our “Ais,” our defeats in battle, and they often come right after our “Jericho,” our victories. In this case, it was only a small town where the disaster occurred, so small that they thought it unnecessary to send more than a handful of soldiers to take it.

Isn’t it often the same in our spiritual lives? One writer said, “Our greatest failures often happen in the little things of life. We misjudge the strength of the enemy and fail to recognize the hidden dangers. We make a mistake when we think it’s an easy matter to overcome any enemy. How often has someone who won a great victory in a major crisis or took a bold stand for the truth, immediately failed in a small domestic issue, a social duty, or a simple act of charity? If there’s ever a time when we need to watch and pray to avoid temptation, it’s in the hour of success.”