Yesterday's Victories Do Not Prevent Tomorrow's Defeats

They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him. [1 Chronicles 5.20a]

They, the warriors of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the middle of battle, cried out to God. The narrative says God gave them victory because they trusted in Him.

But look at verse 25-26:

But these [same] tribes were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors. They worshiped the gods of the nations that God had destroyed. So the God of Israel caused King Pul of Assyria (also known as Tiglath-pileser) to invade the land and take away the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh as captives. The Assyrians exiled them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the Gozan River, where they remain to this day. [1 Chronicles 5,25-26]

So, what's the point?

The point is, yesterday's victories do not prevent tomorrow's defeats. In other words, every day's circumstances require obedience and faith in that day. Yesterday's obedience and faith simply do not carry over to tomorrow.

We may conclude from this then that ours is to be a daily relationship with God.

Another point I wish to make is this: Religion would actually have us think that, because we had victories yesterday, we are immune to defeat today or tomorrow. Why do I say this? Because when tragedy strikes, religious people are usually the first to make uninformed comments like, "Bad things just happen to good people (based on yesterday's victories) because God is God and He proves His love to us through random acts of pain and suffering." But, the context of the entire Bible simply does not support this misinformation. 1 Chronicles certainly reveals that, in the same people, obedience brought victory on one day and disobedience brought defeat on another.

We need to obey and trust God TODAY.

Father, I want to approach today with fresh obedience to, and faith in, You.