“Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until evening… And Joshua said, “Alas, Lord GOD, why have You brought this people over the Jordan at all—to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? …” ~ Joshua 7:6-7
REFERENCE:
‘Why?’ is often the pivot upon which our life improves. It forces us to probe our situation, seek for reasons, and discover solutions/answers. Isaac asked God, “Why?” when Rebecca had a difficult pregnancy. When in depression, David questioned, “Why are you cast down my soul?” When Jesus’ disciples struggled with casting a demon out, they asked Him, “Why could we not cast it out?” By asking why, these people got clarity and became better.
When Joshua’s army fought with a weaker and fewer Ai and failed, he tore his clothes, went to God, and asked, ‘Why?’ God was displeased with Israel, but they did not know it; Achan brought a curse upon them by touching the accursed thing and jeopardized the whole nation. If Joshua had not paused to ask ‘why?’, they would have continued to suffer needless defeat and losses.
Israel’s failure at war miffed Joshua. Failure is unnatural to a child of God walking in the will and purpose of God. He may suffer temporary setbacks, but God wants whatever he does to prosper. Joshua knew this, so he asked God, ‘Why failure?’ He expected a different/better result, which bothered him enough to find out why that did not happen.
Many are stagnated in life or have repeated failures because they fail to ask, “Why failure?” How bothered are you about failure? Do you excuse it, embrace it, or adapt to it? I grew up with a Yoruba adage – “When a child trips and falls, he looks forward, but an adult looks back at what tripped him,” to avoid it in the future. Do you ask, “Why failure?” as a student, pastor, business owner, married man/woman, etc.? Why aren’t things going well?
Don’t settle for failure. God said, “I desire that you prosper and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” The Spirit of a champion is within you; greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world. You are more than a conqueror. Don’t wish it away if you notice failure in any area of your life. Get angry. Ask, ‘Why failure?” Confront it, challenge it, and change it.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
Philippians 3:12-14, Exodus 5:22-23, and I Samuel 30:8
CONFESSION:
Lord, I choose to develop a dislike for failure. I will no longer excuse it or embrace it. I refuse to make excuses; instead, I will make a way. I commit to asking, “Why failure?” when I suffer any setback. Father, as I do that, enlighten me, correct me, forgive my wrongs, and finally give me victory. I am a success and walk in perpetual success, in Jesus’ name.
