The LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face?
Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions.
That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. - Joshua 7:10-12 NIV
How many times am I guilty of this same thing...falling down on my face in despair, crying out, 'Why has this happened to me?' Sometimes, I need to be told "Stop!' I need to be brought up short, short of where my frailties, insecurities and even sin will take me. I need to look deep inside. Just as Joshua had to peel away the layers of tribe, descendants and families to find the guilty party, I need to peel away the layers that keep me from facing the truth that I am usually solely responsible for the situation that I find myself in. That's not to say that worldly events are happening all around me, but it is my reaction to them that causes the majority of my angst. Whenever, I worry about my provision, when ever I take matters into my own hands, when I shy away from God's provision, I fall into a well of despair that is impossible to climb out all by myself.
God is so gracious. He no longer takes us outside the camp to be stoned to death. Instead, he sent his son who took the punishment for all of our sins, and all of the sins that are committed against us. We can still wallow in despair if we want, but if we want a way out, it has been provided. Just as the death of Achan freed the Israelites to be victorious, Christ's death frees us to be the same.
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