Seems to me, on the back of great victories, the children of God end up in a mess. Take for example the children of Israel Egypt- Israel
The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh had forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with the bow, and skillful in war, who went to war. They made war with the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they put their trust in Him. Then they took away their livestock… also one hundred thousand of their men; for many fell dead, because the war was God’s. And they dwelt in their place until the captivity. 1Chr. 5:18 -22 NKJV
And they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria , that is, Tiglath-Pileser[a] king of Assyria . He carried the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into captivity… 1Chr. 5:25 ,26
The Eastern Hebrew tribes took the land they needed from the inhabitants dwelling there. God gave them a great victory because they trusted Him and they cried out to Him in battle. Notice how 44,760 men took captive over 100,000 men (and many men were dead). That’s near impossible odds, but they did it. (That’s faith) Just over 300 years later these same Hebrews were taken captive for being unfaithful (to the same God who gave them victory) by worshipping other gods. (That’s folly)
We like to look down on the Jews for these mistakes, but the truth is, we are no better today. We are on the side of the cross where there is proof of Jesus who walked the earth, did miracles, died, was resurrected from the dead and seen by over 500 people. Many of us have seen miracles of one kind or another or seen God move in our lives somehow. So, a short time after the greatest victory in our lives- salvation through Jesus Christ, we often enter into folly, accepting worldly behaviour into our lives just as the Jews who went back to idol worship.
The only difference is we don’t (usually) physically pray to, bow down, or acknowledge our idols as gods: TV, money, computers, cell phones, sports, cars, status, power, food, friends, parties, our children, sensual pleasures, toys-ipods, tablets... the list could go on for a while. So, how do we keep from making the same foolish mistake over and over again where we put other things in priority over God thus establishing them as idols in our lives?
Daily and often during the day, we should remember all He has done for us. (We really should write them all down so we can reread them.) The Hebrews were told (in Deuteronomy) over ten times to remember what God had done for them, they neglected to do so and suffered the consequences thereof. Let us learn from such folly and return to faith and trust in our God.
Remember, and forget not… Dt. 9:7