Daily Devotional
"At that time Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses."
Joshua 8:30
What a jarring transition! One moment Joshua is hanging the king of Ai on a tree, and the next he’s building an altar 20 miles away on Mount Ebal. This abrupt shift from combat to covenant teaches us something profound: covenant obedience has priority over military victory. The ultimate goal isn’t winning battles – it’s maintaining our relationship with God.
In our achievement-oriented culture, we can easily get so caught up in fighting battles and pursuing victories that we forget the whole point is relationship with God. We become distracted by work deadlines, family crises, financial pressures, and ministry challenges, forgetting that our highest calling is not conquest but covenant faithfulness.
Joshua understood that sometimes we need to interrupt our victories to make sure we’re staying connected to the source of our strength. The battles matter, and God calls us to fight them. But the battles aren’t the end goal – the relationship is.
Today's Challenge
How have you gotten caught up in fighting life's battles to the point of neglecting your relationship with God? What would it look like to "interrupt your victories" to focus on worship and covenant renewal?
Prayer
Lord, help me to keep my priorities straight. When I get caught up in the battles of life - whether victories or defeats - remind me that the ultimate goal is my relationship with You. Give me wisdom to know when to pause from fighting battles to focus on worship and covenant renewal. In Jesus' name, Amen.
