In this daily Bible reading is the account of Israel’s successful conquest of Jericho and of their initial failure at Ai. God had banned Israel from taking any plunder from Jericho. However, Achan from the tribe of Judah did take something. Because of this transgression, God did not allow Israel to defeat Ai in their first attempt. Thirty-five Israelis were killed.
God told Joshua of the transgression and said that He would no longer be with Israel unless Israel destroyed the things under the ban. God then instructed Joshua to burn the person who transgressed along with all he possessed.
The lesson here for me is that God’s blessings in our lives are conditional on our obedience to Him. If we willfully sin, God will not bless us. However, if we repent of our sins and walk rightly before Him, He will bless us abundantly.
