Repentance Brings Restoration
“Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land. You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.’” Joshua 8:1-2 (NIV)
I don’t know about you, but I’ve learned more from my failures in life than my successes. In chapter seven, God taught Israel some painful lessons about the seriousness of sin in their lives. Sin brings failure, defeat and death. It often leads to brokenness. For Joshua, that was a good thing. In his brokenness, he cried out to God. Joshua had failed to pray before going into battle, assuming the victory they won at Jericho would carry them for the next battle with Ai. Instead of consulting with the Lord, he sought the counsel of his scouts. Achan failed to obey the specific instructions of God and stole items that were dedicated to God alone and lied about it. The Bible says we’re no different. In Romans 3:23 (NIV) it says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Joshua teaches us to learn from our failures and not live in them. In his brokenness, he fell on his face before God and prayed. But brokenness can be a double-edged sword. It can cause us either to turn to God in prayer and repentance or turn inward, overcome by fear and discouragement. That’s why God said to Joshua in chapter seven, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face?” Joshua 7:10 (NIV)
Brokenness should bring Godly sorrow that leads to repentance. No amount of penance, guilt, shame, or self-punishment will ever bring restoration. In 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NIV) the Bible tells us, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” This is the double-edged nature of brokenness. While God would use it to lead us to repentance that brings restoration and leaves no regrets, Satan wants to use it to destroy you and thwart God’s purpose in your life. Rather than learning from your failures, Satan would have you live in them convinced of the lie that God can never use you again! Have you ever felt that way? Take a lesson of hope from Joshua. After he had dealt with the sin, turned back to God, the Lord said to him, “‘Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set an ambush behind the city.’” Joshua 8:1-2 (NIV)
I love the tenderness, understanding, and encouragement with which God spoke to His servant. He didn’t shame him. He pictured a future for him and prefaced His instructions with these words of encouragement, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Maybe that is exactly what God wants to say to you today. God is not through with you! You are not a product of your past. Your failure does not have to define you! It’s time to get up. Claim God’s forgiveness. Confess it. Confession is not just for what you did wrong, but it is agreeing with God that you have been forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. If you’re not dead, God ain’t done! God led Joshua with specific instructions and the promise that he would be victorious in his battle against Ai. He said, “For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city and his land. You shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. …” Rather than living in his failure, Joshua learned from it, got up, and took the city!
Repentance brings restoration. None of us get it right all the time. Our mistakes and sins have painful consequences, but they do not have to define us. When we turn back to God, He restores our lives and accomplishes His purpose through us!