Watch Out for the Little Things
My back has improved dramatically over the past few weeks, and I'm almost back to my normal activity level. I still have the occasional twinge, which makes me stress over aggravating it again, but overall, I'm doing better.
As I spoke with the osteopath about my ongoing issues with my back, he cautioned me that it's not the big movements that are generally the problem. It's the little ones—the ones we don't think about. He explained that when we're about to pick up a heavy box, our instinct is to remember the correct posture, like bending at the hips and holding the core tight while lifting. However, when doing simple tasks like hanging up laundry (what I was doing the last time my back went out), we don't pay attention to our posture because we don't feel it's necessary. And that's what ultimately gets us--not the big things but the little ones. Movements as simple as wiping down a counter or getting up from a chair can be our undoing. Who knew?
Well, the children of Israel did. At least, they did after their defeat against the city of Ai. This wasn't their first battle, nor was it against the biggest of enemies. Israel had defeated armies far greater and often without even raising a sword.
So, what was different this time? Why didn't God fight for them as He had many times before? In the simplest of terms, because they didn't ask Him to. In previous situations, Israel prayed to God. When facing armies whose numbers outweighed the sands of the shore, they sought God's strength. When staring at the mighty walls of Jericho, they pleaded for God's direction. Time and time again, they took the situation to God, and God blessed them for it.
This time, however, the people of Israel didn't see a need for prayer. The city of Ai was small, insignificant even. Knowing they had defeated armies much greater, Israel was confident this battle would be a piece of cake. So, they failed to seek God and went out to fight in their own strength. Let's see how that worked out for them.
But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. - Joshua 7:1-5
Had the people sought the Lord, they would have known about the sin in the camp and realized they needed to deal with it before embarking on a battle. Because of the size of the enemy, they felt they didn't need help, and it cost them greatly.
The same is true for us. It's not usually the "big" sins that cause us grief. We're on guard for those. We seek God's will and protection against those regularly. But the "little" sins? Those are the ones that sneak in and create havoc in our lives. We underestimate their power and overestimate our strength. Like the children of Israel, we allow our pride to tell us we've got this when we really don't.
Mark Bishop wrote a song, "Pray on the Little Days." He urges us not to wait for the "big days" in life before we call on God in prayer. He reminds us that we need to seek God's strength and will for our lives every day. Not just over the big battles or significant decisions but over everything we face. Big or small. It doesn't matter. We need God!