Joshua 7:12
"Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you."
The children of Israel had just won the battle of Jericho.
They were certainly feeling pretty good about themselves. They had conquered the most feared city of their day. The walls that no other nation could bring down came down by God's hand working through them. They clearly understood that God had done something miraculous through them.
However, they came to the next city of Ai, and lost the battle. Achan had taken of the spoils of Jericho against God's command, and that sin caused God not to go with them. God made the statement above, "...neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you." What God was reminding them of was that they could try and do it all alone and fail, or they could deal with their sin and get God's presence among them. They could go out and think they could still do it because of their past reputation, but they needed to understand that it still takes God to do great works.
We all like to hear that God is a God of a second chance, but God is only a God of a second chance when the one who has sinned comes to grip with their sin and gets right. It doesn't matter what you have done in the past, it still takes God to do a great work. You may think you can cover your sin and get by with it, but it still takes God for great works to continue in your life.
Samson found this out the hard way. Samson said in Judges 16:20, "I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him." Certainly, Samson had felt God's presence in the past. Certainly, Samson knew what it was like for God to work through his life in a powerful manner. Yet, he never faced his sin and got it right. Instead, he thought he could go out "as at other times before" and see the same great results. No, Samson! It still takes God for the powerful works to be done. Samson, until you take care of your sin, it doesn't matter how much you think you can do, it still takes God. We could go through the Scriptures and talk about those who forgot that it still takes God for the great works to go on.
You can presumptuously and pridefully think you can go out as other times before, but it still takes God for the great works to happen. Certainly, you may have glimpses of great works, but you will never experience the great power of God working through your life until you completely deal with your sin, for God will not work through you until you have completely dealt with your sin according to His commandment.
Friend, maybe this devotional is just for you. Maybe you once experienced God's blessings on your life, but sin took it away. You can go out as at other times before and do everything just like you did it before, but it still takes God to get the same results you had before. It was not you who did the great works before. It was God working through you. God will not work through anyone until they deal with their sin. There is no doubt that God is the God of a second chance, but before there is a second chance you must deal with your sin. You may have seen God work through you in the past, but always remember that it still takes God, and He will only work through vessels that are clean and right with Him.