Strategies Are Shortcuts And Not Surrender | Judges 1:22–26

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Our text today is Judges 1:22-26:

"The house of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them. And the house of Joseph scouted out Bethel. (Now the name of the city was formerly Luz.) And the spies saw a man coming out of the city, and they said to him, 'Please show us the way into the city, and we will deal kindly with you.' And he showed them the way into the city. And they struck the city with the edge of the sword, but they let the man and all his family go. And the man went to the land of the Hittites and built a city and called its name Luz. That is its name to this day." — Judges 1:22-26

The tribe of Joseph had momentum. God was with them. They were positioned for another victory, and Bethel was next. They scouted the city, found a local man, and made a deal:

"Show us the way in, and we’ll spare you."

It worked. They took the city, but they also let compromise slip in through the side door. The man they spared? He went off and built another city. A city that carried the same old name—Luz—the one God intended to obliterate.

Here’s the tension: partial obedience appears to be success… for a while.

They captured Bethel. But they preserved a piece of what God intended to destroy. They won the battle. But they left the roots of resistance intact. And don’t we do the same? We address the major sins, but overlook the smaller ones. We say yes to God, mostly. But we keep one foot in comfort or pride or bitterness.

That’s not surrender. That’s strategy. And your strategy isn’t obedience. Sometimes it's a secret shortcut to get what you want, rather than what God wants. Let your strategy go; surrender your selfish strategies to the Lord. Joseph’s tribe had the upper hand, and instead of walking in full trust, they chose a shortcut. And shortcuts in faith always leave doors open to the enemy.

So here’s the question(s): What deal have you made with sin? What obedience have you postponed because partial surrender felt "close enough"?

Today is your chance to go all in. Don’t let a Luz live on just because it made your life easier for a moment.

ASK THIS:

1. Where have I obeyed God only halfway?
2. What deals have I made that compromise long-term faithfulness?
3. How has a shortcut in my past led to struggle today?
4. What does full obedience require of me now?

DO THIS:

Name one area where you've been cutting corners spiritually—and commit today to close the gap with full obedience.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, I don’t want to win battles while losing trust. Show me where I’ve made deals with sin, and give me courage to obey You completely. Amen

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"Lord I Need You."