Text: Joshua 7 & 8
The story of the Israelites and their encounter with the people of Ai is filled with great lessons. How the tides turned when they engaged in battle is of great significance. Israel who had earlier been defeated by the army of Ai because they took the accursed thing later gained the strength to turn the army of Ai to flight and overtake them because they themselves had turned back to God. The story of Achan and the accursed thing is for another day but what the spirit of the Lord ministered unto me as I tarry before Him is the need to be careful of being lured away from my safe zone.
For the believers, there is a safe zone in God’s circumference of grace. It is the zone of the Holy Ghost wherein the enemy cannot touch us as much as he tries. Hence, he seeks for ways to draw us out and lure us to a zone where he can easily gain the upper hand.
When Joshua and his people approached Ai for battle, they strategically laid an ambush by placing some of the soldiers along the way while the rest of the army entered the city (Joshua 8:11-22). The battle began and Joshua and his men feigned defeat; making themselves look like they have been beaten by the soldiers of Ai and therefore fled before them. What really touched me in this passage is that all the men of Ai were mobilized to pursue Joshua and his men, and they were drawn away from the city. It is the “being drawn away” in verse 16 that caught my attention seriously. What a strategy! Drawing the men of Ai away from their city was drawing them away from their safe zone at that time because they were unaware of the ambush laid by the people of Joshua. If they knew, they too would probably have re-strategized. They would have taken caution; but they were so engrossed with pursuing to defeat Joshua that they lost all sensitivity, and they became vulnerable prey! The men in the ambush overpowered them and took over their city.
Beloved, let us be careful of being drawn away from our safe zone in the Holy Ghost. Some situations and circumstances will take place wherein if you are not careful, you may be drawn away.That is the mission of Satan; seking whom to devour! As believers or as minsters of the gospel, we must be careful of too many activities that occupy our time and attention that we are drawn away from the word of God, times of intense prayers and deep intimacy with the Lord. Be mindful that activities in the vineyard of God or in the secular workspace can become so demanding and draining that we are lured out of the closet life; the zone of hearing the voice of God clearly and distinctly. Many activities can be so legitimately demanding and subtly drain us of strength. Some activities can be so legitimate that if we are not careful to properly strategize our time, they may take us over. Being too busy on the social media or with television programs can draw you away from the place of strength which is the Holy Ghost zone, the grace zone. All these draw us more into the flesh and reactions in the flesh.
One of the very beautiful lessons I learn from the life and ministry of Jesus on earth is that He never allowed the people or ministry dictate His life. He had control of His time such that He often withdrew to lonely places to renew fellowship with the Father. He would sometimes withdraw from the crowd even when they were seeking Him; He would go back to pray and have intimacy with the Father after His ministrations. He refused to be “drawn away” by the activities and demands of ministry. When we allow ourselves to be drawn away, we make ourselves vulnerable! The men of Ai became vulnerable prey because they allowed themselves to be drawn away!
May the Lord quicken our sensitivity, such that we don’t get beclouded by the activities of life and ministry to the extent that we are drawn away from the Lord. As we approach another new year, may we receive renewal of grace and strength to tarry before the Father and draw help in His presence against every tactic of the enemy. May every ambush laid against our lives in order to draw/lure us away for defeat be utterly destroyed by the Lord. Amen!
© Funmi Adebayo
