In this devotional from the Joshua series, Pastor Mike Woodruff turns to one of the most sobering chapters in the book — the surprising and costly defeat at Ai.

Jericho had just fallen. The walls came down, the victory was miraculous, and the momentum was real. So when Israel turned its attention to Ai — a much smaller city with a much smaller army — confidence was high. Too high. They went in without seeking God first, underestimated their enemy, overestimated themselves, and came away defeated.

Joshua 7 tells us why: there was sin in the camp. A man named Achan had taken items God had commanded be set apart, and that hidden disobedience rippled outward into chaos and defeat for the entire community.

But Pastor Mike draws out a deeper pattern that goes beyond Achan. As Dallas Willard observed, spiritual success is far more dangerous than failure. When things go well, we subtly begin to believe we've earned it. Prayer becomes less urgent. Humility quietly gives way to self-reliance. We start calculating risks and returns instead of listening for God's voice. Israel didn't lose at Ai because they tried and failed — they lost because they succeeded at Jericho and forgot.

It's a pattern most of us recognize. A good season, a string of wins, and then — almost without noticing — spiritual complacency sets in.

The lesson from Joshua 7 is clear: we need God just as much after the victory as before the battle. In fact, perhaps even more. Because the danger isn't in trying and failing. The danger is in succeeding and forgetting.

📖 Series: Joshua — A Devotional Study 🎙️ Pastor: Mike Woodruff 📌 Scripture Focus: Joshua 7

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