4/14 Joshua 10:42

⁴² And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.

In one sweeping campaign, Joshua captured all of the strongholds in southern Israel. The Gibeonites pretended they had come from a distant land and tricked Israel into making a treaty with them. Then when the main Amorite kings of southern Israel came to punish Gibeon for joining with their enemy, Israel, Joshua and his army made an all-night march to rescue them. God joined the battle by raining great hailstones on the Amorites. This so weakened their forces that Joshua quickly took all their walled cities.

The Israelites had made a mistake in not taking counsel of the LORD before making the treaty with the Gibeonites, but God worked through the mistake. The same is often true in our lives. We unwittingly sin by not asking God what to do, but God knows our heart. He can even use our mistakes to help us in our spiritual journey. The grace of God is with us even when we miss His perfect will. We may face consequences of our bad decisions, but God can even use those to teach and mature us.

Someone has said we should make every fall a fall forward. Don't wallow in your mistake. Repent and see how God would use it in your life. The path to victory is sometimes down the road of our mistakes, which instills in us a greater desire to do the right thing next time. Learn the lesson and grow from it. Remember that the LORD is fighting for you. He will finish His work in you. You may be on your way to your greatest victory of all.

Prayer: LORD, keep me from self-pity. Help me to see what You are teaching me through my mistakes and to remember the lessons so that I don't need to repeat them. Keep my heart looking forward to the victory You have in store for me. Thank You for fighting for me.