“And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.”
Joshua 8:2 (NKJV)
• God is the Master strategist, He knows what to do per time.
- If you walked with Him as you ought to do, He will direct you in the AFFAIRS of your life and teach you how to win the battles of life (Psalm 18:34).
- Joshua’s initial approach to the battle of Ai was suggested by men, thus they failed woefully.
- “Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth Aven, on the east side of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, “Go up and spy out the country.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
- And they returned to Joshua and said to him, “DO NOT LET ALL THE PEOPLE GO UP, BUT LET ABOUT TWO OR THREE THOUSAND MEN GO UP AND ATTACK AI. Do not weary all the people there, for the people of Ai are few.”
- So about three thousand men went up there from the people, BUT THEY FLED BEFORE THE MEN OF AI.”
Joshua 7:2-4 (NKJV)
• Good idea is not God’s idea.
- A leader must learn how to first of all wait on God to know what to do about every issue of life and that of the ministry.
- Good idea may not be God’s idea.
GOOD idea from the members of your ministry team may not be God’s idea as well. - You need to clear it, get an approval from God on each plan, before you embark on it.
- If you are taking a step without any proper clearance from the Lord, you are jeopardizing your life and the life of the people under your leadership in the Ministry: "Take heed to yourself..., FOR IN DOING THIS YOU WILL SAVE BOTH YOURSELF AND THOSE WHO HEAR YOU" (1 Timothy 4:16).
"AND THE MEN OF AI STRUCK DOWN ABOUT THIRTY-SIX MEN, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck them down on the descent; therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water.”
Joshua 7:5 (NKJV)
• Note:In the ministry leadership, pray about everything that you want to do.
THE Ministry work is God’s work, it cannot be done with the arm of flesh—it cannot be done with your human wisdom (1 Samuel 2:9; 2 Chronicles 32:8; Zechariah 4:6).
THE truth is,if Joshua had consulted God, ever before he took the step on Ai matters, God would have revealed to him that Achan had committed a sin.
- If you are actually working for God, you cannot afford to do things without His approval.
WHEN Joshua later went to God after the incident, God revealed to him what had gone wrong—where they had missed it.
- “So the LORD said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?
- “ISRAEL HAS SINNED, AND THEY HAVE ALSO TRANSGRESSED MY COVENANT WHICH I COMMANDED THEM. For they have even taken some of the accursed things, and have both stolen and deceived; and they have also put it among their own stuff.”
Joshua 7:10,11 (NKJV)
• The foremost assignment of a leader IN the work of Ministry is their fellowship with God.
- Seeking to know His mind, beholding His face on issues of life and that of the ministry.
- If a leader Misses this important fact, he may have a dirge to sing.
• It is my prayer that you will not fail in your Ministerial assignment, the leadership assignment, in Jesus' name.
GOD will see you through in all your endeavours in Jesus’ name.
Peace!