April 18                                          Josh 19 - 21

DANGERS OF DIVINE ABSENCE

MEMORISE: ‘If a man abide not in me, He is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”’ (John 15:6)
READ: Judges 16:20-21

May God never leave you! Romans 8:31 says: ‘If God be for us, who can be against us? That verse does not mean that you will not have enemies and opposition – but as long as God is with you, you need not fear. It also follows, conversely, that if God is against you, even if your pastor, the parish hand everyone you know all begin to pray, fast and hold vigils for you, it will amount to nothing.

When God was with Israel, merely going round the formidable walls of Jericho and shouting cased the walls to crumble on their own. But they later fought against a smaller town called Ai, 36 of them were killed and the rest fled before their enemies. In Joshua 7:10-12, when Joshua fell on his face to enquire the cause of their defeat, God told him it was because he was no longer with them as a result of sin in their midst.

Sin in your life can cause you to fall before you’re your weakest, most insignificant foe. Therefore always live a holy life. Whenever you are floored by your opponents or circumstances, take a cue from Joshua and fall on your face before God to find out why. Some of us take defeats and failures for granted. Take time to investigate why that request was not granted, or why were knocked down by sickness or enemies.

In 1 Samuel 4:3-11, the Israelites suffered a defeat by the Philistines. Then they went ahead and brought the ark of the Lord and rejoiced greatly. The philistines soon heard and quaked, but realizing that God not with the Israelites, they came back, attacked again and captured the ark. Christianity without a personal relationship with Christ will always end up in crisis. That you place the Bible on your chest or under your pillow is no guarantee of protection. That you call on the Name of Jesus whenever you are in trouble is no assurance that he will hear you. It is only those who are righteous who can be protected by his Name. Do not become so busy that you forget Jesus. Joseph and Mary forgot him in Jerusalem. Do not, if you want to remain blessed!

ACTION POINT
Whenever you are disappointed, go back to God and ask why.
Remind yourself that God will never leave you alone.