July 24th, 2026
Scripture – “They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do forced labor.”
Joshua 16:10 NIV
Observation – God told the Israelites to remove the Canaanites from Gezer but instead they reduced them to servitude. If they reduced them to servitude they most certainly could have removed them but chose not to obey God.
Application – The Israelites chose to disobey God and it caused them problems. They began to worship the gods of the surrounding nations, they married non-believers and experienced military resistance later. Partial obedience or seemingly advantageous compromise can cause serious problems generations after you are gone. Jesus said, “And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” What is causing you to partially obey God? Cut it out of your life and throw it away.
Prayer – Lord, I pray that all believers would care more about pleasing you today than themselves and would care more about future generations than themselves. Help us to do the hard thing today so we and our families don’t face the consequences of partial obedience.
What are you doing? Do it better 