Joshua 8 -- Organizing Victories Out Of Mistakes

The first attack on Ai had been a mistake based on overconfidence and the lack of oversight to have discovered what Achan had done.  But God was all about organizing victories out of mistakes.  My commentary quoted from a sermon from 1849:  "Life, like war, is a series of mistakes, and he is not the best Christian nor the best general who makes the fewest false steps.  Poor mediocrity may secure that, but he is the best who wins the most splendid victories by the retrieval of mistakes.  Forget mistakes; organize victories out of mistakes."

It also said Henry Ford defined a mistake as "an opportunity to begin again, more intelligently."  It continued, "No matter what mistakes we make, the worst mistake of all is not to try again; for the victorious Christian life is a series of new beginnings ... Discouragement over the past and fear of the future are the two reactions that often accompany failure.  We look back and remember the mistakes we made and wonder whether there's any future for people who fail so foolishly.  The answer to our discouragement and fear is hearing and believing God's Word ...God never discourages His people from making progress ... God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him... Spiritually minded believers are victorious because they allow the Word of God to saturate their minds and hearts.  The Spirit using the Word controls their desires and decisions and this is the secret of victory."

There was an interesting note about changes in our lives as well:  "God is not only the God of new beginnings, but He's also the God of infinite variety ... God changes His leaders lest we start trusting flesh and blood instead of trusting the Lord, and He changes His methods lest we start depending on our personal experience instead of on His divine promises... It's very important that we seek God's will for each undertaking so that we don't depend on past victories as we plan for the future ... How easy it is for Christian ministries to dig their way into administrative ruts that eventually become graves, simply because the leadership fails to discern whether God wants to do something new for them."  

"The work of the Lord requires strategy, and Christian leaders must seek the mind of the Lord in their planning.  Like Joshua, we must get the facts and weigh them carefully as we seek the will of God ... Leadership demands planning, and planning is an important part of strategy."

Father, help us to realize when You are wanting to do something new in our lives.  Cause us to seek Your will and not our own personal experiences.  Let us not choose ruts that become graves.  Keep our ministries fresh and relevant.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford