Standing My Ground

Standing My Ground

PSALM 1:1-6

1. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the paths of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.

2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord. And in his Law He meditates day and night.

3. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters, that brings forth its fruit in its season.

4. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

5. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

JOSHUA 7:1, 7:19-26

1. But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel.

19.So Joshua sain to Achan, “my son I beg you, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession to him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me”

20. And Achan answered Joshua and said, “indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done”

21.”When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, 200 shekels, of silver I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the Earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.”

22. So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and there it was hidden in his tent, with the silver under it.

23. And they took them from the midst of the tent, brought them to Joshua and to all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord.

24. Then Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them to the Valley of Achor.

25. And Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The Lord will trouble you this day.” So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they stoned them with stones.

26. Then they raised over him a great heap of stones, still there to this day. So the Lord turned from his fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the Valley of Achor to this day.

David had already experienced the ability to stand his ground.

He had gone up against the giant, Goliath, and the hand of God gave him the ability to take his sling and shoot down the Giant.

He knew what it was to be like a tree planted by the river of God, and what it was like to swim in that river.

He never took counsel from the wicked.

He trusted God’s counsel, the Word of God.

He meditated on God’s law day and night.

His strength came from obeying God’s law.

The fruit on his tree didn’t wither; whatever he did, he prospered in it.

It is because of where he stood! David would not be moved!

David stood his ground.

I’ve entitled this “Standing My Ground”. Are we standing our ground?

If we’re standing our ground in Christ, we will not be moved.

It’s time we stand on what’s ours.

Sometimes we wonder why the wicked prosper, and it seems we struggle.

The wicked will have their day!

At times it seems we struggle, but compared to a lot of people in this world, we’re rich.

We have a roof over our head, we have food. If we don’t, we have the resources to get it.

Some people don’t have these luxuries.

In the book of Joshua, Joshua had just taken over as leader of the Israelites.

God promised Joshua just like He was with Moses, He would be with him.

Joshua had just had a great victory at Jericho; remember they never had to raise a weapon of war.

The walls of Jericho came tumbling down because of obedience to God, God works through obedience.

All Joshua had to do was to be obedient to God and stand his ground.

Jericho had already been given to him.

Israel’s next battle was against Ai. (Read Joshua 7:1)

Achan had taken what wasn’t his.(stuff from the Battle of Jericho)

Because of this act, Ai defeated Israel.

This should have been an easy victory for Israel.

But Achan took what wasn’t his to take.

Achan was not standing his ground, when you take something that isn’t yours, you’re not standing your ground.