The Fall Begins With Taking What Isn't Yours

Today, I'm bringing you a word from the book of Joshua. For context, Joshua is the first book in the Old Testatment following The Torah, which is the Law of the Lord. The book of Joshua follows Joshua and the Israelites as they finally enter the Promised Land. While I'm still reading it, I feel this post is worth writing now.

In Joshua 7, we see a family of the tribe of Judah go against the word of the Lord when they take a portion of the Lord's bounty from the conquering of Jericho. Jericho was the first city conquered by the Israelites after they crossed the Jordan river. As such, it served as a sort of firstfruits. All the bounty collected in the siege was to be dedicated to the Lord. It was not theirs to keep. Doing so would bring a curse on Israel/ the family whole stole from the Lord.

It became obvious the Lord's favor had been removed from Israel when they were defeated in a battle they otherwise would've won. When Joshua sought the Lord to understand why this had happened, the Lord revealed to Joshua the transgression and tasked him with finding the thief. So, he does.

Achan confesses in Joshua 7:20-21: "Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel...When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them."

Per the word of the Lord, the justice for this crime was death. And so, Achan and his family were killed. Israel renewed their covenant with the Lord and favor in battle was restored to them. But the story of Achan is bigger than the choice of one man. It's part of a pattern.

We see this pattern of fall throughout the Bible.

• Satan tried to take God's kingdom (still is) and he fell.

• Eve took the forbidden fruit, leading to the fall of mankind.

• Achan took the spoils of battle that were not his to claim and it led to his death and destruction.

• David took another man's wife and it led to broken fellowship with the Lord.

Every fall begins with taking something or someone that doesn't belong to you.

This resonated with me so much, because I write a lot about struggles in surrender and struggles in the waiting season.

When it comes to fully surrendering to the Lord, the idea is you give everything to Him. You give your time, your skills, your body, your present and your future. You seek His will in every area. You relinquish your control over your own life, trusting in His leadership. And this is not easy. Even when we know it's worth it, it is not easy to let the Lord lead. Because, often times, letting the Lord lead involves a lot of waiting.

It is a test of patience, of faith, and even discernment when the lines between our will and His are blurred.

In business, my surrender looks like waiting to commit to a book until there is peace. I have tons of ideas for fictional stories and even several ideas for more Christian non-fiction works. It would be impossible for me to pursue them all. So, I wait for what feels right in the given moment. Sometimes that means not writing anything at all. Sometimes that means holding onto a concept or title until the Lord gives me the inspiration that expands it. I'm holding onto a lot right now, knowing that one day, those books will be written.

When it comes to dating, I approach it similarly. There are plenty of men/ possibilities out there. If I cast my net, I could probably catch a fish and end the season of longing. But would it be my fish? Would it be the man God has chosen for me and is preparing for me? Would it be the right timing? Would I be the version of myself God wants to unite with a specific man?

While it's not clear whether the concept of the one is Biblical, based on what I know about God, I do believe God is specific in His design and planning for our individual lives. And that includes who we marry. This belief first came to me when I saw how meticulous the Lord was in designing the first tabernacle. Many of the Old Testatment books are full of tedious instructions. How much more meticulous will our God be in the building of our lives?

My surrender in dating looks like praying about connections when approached and only choosing to move toward someone I feel has the qualities I’m looking for in a husband. In both situations, I hold the connection with an open palm. When my heart wants to cling and hope, I give them back to the Lord and see if He lets them stay. I trust that the Lord will reveal the truth over time. He will either join hands or He won't, but until He joins those hands that person is not mine. They belong to the Lord. I belong to the Lord. To work outside of His will would be to take what does not yet, if ever belong to me.

Scripture reveals that all things and all people belong to the Lord.

"The earth is the Lord's and the fullness therof, the world and those who dwell therein." Psalm 24:1

"Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine." Ezekiel 18:4

"For by him all things were created...all things were created through him and for him." Colossians 1:16-17

We have seen today through the book of Joshua that taking what is not ours leads to our destruction.

So, Lord, I ask that You protect our hearts against envy and covetousness. Give us patience and strength to endure the waiting for what You seek to give us. For what You give is good and is incomparable. What You give is a blessing. Your Word reveals that what we take without Your permission is a curse. Lord, protect us from all curses. Bless us according to Your word. Give us the discernment to know what is ours, who is ours. All these things I ask for myself and my readers, in Jesus' name, Amen.

A final note...

The waiting becomes harder when you think you're waiting for nothing, but even in the story of Achan we see that if he had waited, the Lord permitted the Israelites to take the spoil from the next conquered city and the one after and the one after. The Lord requires His firstfruits, but He does not seek to leave us impoverished, depleted, or full of longing. He seeks to fill us, give to us, and love us.