Articles
Fighting Molehills
Have you ever gotten so frustrated at your electronic device that you wanted to chuck it out the window? Or, have you been so worried about the next day or week that you couldn’t sleep at night? When it comes to overcoming obstacles, people want to think of the giant problems or the big difficulties that they have to face in life. However, many times it is ultimately the day-to-day molehill-like hindrances that can keep us from moving forward on the Godly path.
In Joshua 7, the Israelites had just taken Jericho, a city believed to be impenetrable and it was an amazing victory that God had given them. As a result, their morale was high, and decided to spy on the land to find their next target. Joshua 7:2-3 says, “And the men went up and spied out Ai…and said…‘Do not have all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and attack Ai. Do not make the whole people toil up there, for they are few.’” After hearing the report, Joshua took the advice of the spies and sent a few thousand men to take the city.
However, the Israelite army broke and fled before the soldiers of Ai and lost 36 men. After Joshua heard of the defeat, he tore his clothes, fell on his face, and cried out to God. In Joshua 7:10-15, The Lord replied to Joshua, “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned…they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings.” Compared to the city of Jericho, Ai was a molehill that could have easily been squashed. Except, the molehill became a giant because they were separated from the Lord.
Before Joshua even captured the great city of Jericho he was confronted by an angel of God. Joshua 5:13-14, says “And Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us, or for our adversaries?’ And he said, ‘No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.’” There is a Latin phrase above the pyramid on the dollar that says, “Annuit Coeptis”. Translated this means, “Providence (God) has favored our undertakings”. God had favored Joshua’s taking of Jericho, but because Joshua and the Israelites had first favored Him. God did not favor the Israelites taking Ai, until they repented and were recommitted to truly obeying Him. In our lives, our molehills and tiny obstacles will feel insurmountable if we fight them without truly being on His side.
