THURSDAY - 28TH AUGUST, 2025
MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL - Olusola & Oreoluwa ADEJUMO
BEING TREATED AS SONS - One Alone Series 005
Psalms 78:9, KJV
"The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle."
What sort of evil and misfortune is this? I thought it's when soldiers are unarmed that they turn back since they'll be nowhere equal to the opponent?
But what is this I read about the Ephraimites? Is it true that one can be armed, carrying bows yet flee from the battlefield even in defeat? It's very very possible.
What you must know is that Deuteronomy 32:30 says, "How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?"
Victory in the physical happens first in the spirit and before it does, the spirit representative of the physical side fighting must either have yielded them up or surrendered them for defeat before they can be defeated. If the edge is not broken, how can an intruder enter in?
The Ephraimites turned back despite being armed for battle because they had sinned before God. For their unfaithfulness, God gave them up for defeat. This situation is well described by the defeat of Israel before Ai. As a matter of fact, Israel less esteems Ai because of their small population and so not all the entire population went to battle (Joshua 7:3-5).
Despite being a smaller entity than Israel and its host in battle, they beat Israel to defeat until they were turned back. Why? Someone had disobeyed God by picking the accursed things God had stipulated should be destroyed and not coveted in the defeat of Jericho (Joshua 7:1). That was Achan. It was that disobedience that opened them to defeat. They themselves wondered how until they found out. They knew strength wise, God wise and army wise, they shouldn't have been beaten.
You must know that the real strength of the Christian man or woman is not in his idea, qualification or whatsoever that symbolizes "arms", "equipping" or "qualification" for what he needs to do that's before him. His greatest asset and arm is God Almighty who can deliver and betray anything into his hands or who when He withdraws when we're in disobedience could cause our suffering of losses.
God is the One who leads us to battle and gives us victory. We can be armed with weapons as needed tools to fight the physical battle, hold the mic to preach a sermon or make a presentation but the one who inclines and convicts hearts is God.
It is this solution and help that was not available for the Ephraimites, who as a leading tribe in Israel could have led a war or disappointed Israel when their skills as fine archers were needed in battle. The Bible says in that same Psalm - just the consequent one.
Psalms 78:10, KJV
"They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law."
That's the cause of their defeat. The verse preceding 9 that we're considering also says, "...a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God" (ESV).
Recall what David told Goliath when Goliath mocked him for appearing simple before him. He cursed him and said, "am I a dog that you come to with a stick? I'll kill you and give your body to the host of the air" (I Samuel 17:43-44) but David responds, "you come out to me with a sword and a spear but I come to you in the name of the Lord God of hosts whom you've defied. Today, I will kill you and feed your body to the host of the air that all these people may know that there's a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not deliver with sword and spear (I Samuel 45-47).
Over and over again in the Bible, we see that the Lord does not save by bow and arrow. It's just a leverage for God to ride on and where they are not or inadequate (as in the case of David), God can still win the day for Himself.
You must therefore write it in your core that except their Rock sells them, one cannot chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight. And if there's disobedience which leads to God's withdrawal and the punishment of his people by what the devil could cause, they're being treated as sons who should be disciplined and chastised for proper behavior and adherence to God's will next time. Repentance as we saw in the case of Israel over the accursed things of Jericho will change the day. Disobedience can break your edge and make you like one alone - like a pelican in the wilderness, owl in the desert and sparrow on a housetop. But if you mend this broken fence, God shall be for you.
PRAYER: Open my eyes to any area in my life where I'm living in violation of God's Word or will. I refuse to suffer consequences and be isolated for suffering or punishment.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Galatians 1; Psalms 135-137
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