So the Lord said to Joshua: “Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face? Joshua 7:10 

After an army of 3,000 Israelite soldiers were defeated by the citizens of Ai, Joshua and the Israelite leaders fell humbly before God. Joshua knew he and the Israelites had allowed sin to creep in, angering God, and He allowed this brief defeat. Joshua had a lot of pressure on him as their leader, and after crossing the Jordan and into the promised land, things didn’t seem as if they were going to work out. His humbleness brought him to his knees, to the point of ripping his clothes and putting dust on his head (another way to express deep regret and sadness).

 Thankfully God had not abandoned His people. He told Joshua to GET UP, and get back to business. God instructed him to weed out the sin that had crept into the camp and destroy it. Joshua did just as God instructed by destroying the family who sparked the fire of unrighteousness. Afterwards, the army of Israel overtook the city of Ai and destroyed every citizen, including the king of Ai.

 God has a plan and purpose for your life. When following in obedience, things typically go well as God bless you. But when sin creeps in, God is angered and you find yourself on your knees, humbled, and feeling regretful. We should always bring our wrongdoings before God and ask for His forgiveness. But don’t let that hinder you from the work He wants to continue to do with you.

 Maybe you are feeling guilty about something horrible you’ve done and your life is a wreck because of poor decisions. God doesn’t want you to remain laying flat. It’s time to get up and ready yourself for God’s instructions moving forward. His plans for your life won’t succeed if you remain defeated. God has already overcome your failures and is ready to bring you into a new day, with His blessings, to achieve success as you walk in the path He’s chosen for your life! God bless!