Heralds Digest

"Now the Lord said to Joshua: “Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land." (Joshua 8:1 NKJV) Moment is often defined by both the state and statements around life. After the defeat in Ai, Joshua and Israel are in a state of fear and discouragement. Statements of people under this condition of despair can hardly improve their state of minds. Fortunately, the statement that makes a difference in moment of despair does not necessarily depend on the declared veracity of the state. Out of all the voices that come to mind in moments of apparent failure and rejection in life, the only voice of truth comes from God. Therefore, a defining moment is meant to be captured by the Lord's declaration; and not by any man's definition.

"So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?"" (Joshua 7:10 NKJV) There is a subtle infection of unprofitable quietness that often rob believers of their rights to victory and good success in life. Beside the ignorance of Joshua about the infection from sin within the camp of Israel, the defeat at Ai could have been blamed on over-confidence or loss of concentration of the chosen 3,000 men of war. However, Joshua's disquieting intervention broke the silence of heaven. While quietness as regard the sharing of personal discomfort in the public can be counter-productive, quietness with respect to closet sharing of concerns with God is unprofitable.