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Read: Joshua 6:18
Keeping the Lord's commandments is what He really want us. He never fails to remind us to keep away from the devoted things that may bring us into our own destruction. (Joshua 6:18)
In the journey of Israelites in conquering the promise land. Israelites was defeated by Ai, their enemy. Because God is not with them. Because Israelites sinned against the Lord. (V11)
That is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies; they turn their backs and run because they have been made liable to destruction. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. Joshua 7:12
The reason they cannot stand against their enemies because they have sinned against God. They violated the covenant by taking some devoted things and they become a lying theft. Like us we committed sin because we are blinded of what we see. We forgot the law unless we are being caught and suffered from it.
Israelites becomes unfaithful they turn their backs and run because they are liable to destruction. They knew that they are the one who is responsible of their destruction. Because before this thing happen they already know the right from wrong. They already reminded by Joshua in chapter 6 to keep the commandments of the Lord and to keel away from devoted things. Guilt and shame are some of the reason why we turn back from God. Because we are afraid to face the Lord,we feel ashamed because we know that we commit sin. Another reason is we resist to forgive ourselves we are selfish, having this pride and tired of talking and confess to God?! But when did God fall short to forgive us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. 1 John 1:9
God said, I will not be with you unless you destroy whatever among you devoted to destruction. As long as their is a hindrance between us and God how can we come closer to God? How can God reach us out? So, the thing we should do is to destroy or demolish those things. It is not simply stop it or pause it because their is a possibility that we will go back and resume what we are doing. We need to put an end on it until it will be no longer exist. It is like a repentance it is a one time decision that we should be made, but we need to strive, to work for it everyday until it will become useless and demolished in our life.
Lastly God wants us to consecrate ourselves, renewing ourselves everyday. Admit all of our sins before God and putting ourselves together to devote our time, effort and strength no to the things give us pleasure but to devote ourselves in God alone.
We need to leave and never go back to the things that will bring us destruction, we need to focus ourselves in God alone. He's always waiting for us to confess our sin, to reconcile, to renew our life in Him. That we may impart a big space in our heart where God can live and be with us always. God will never leave us unless we let ourselves leave Him.
The sad thing about this chapter was Achan was given a chance to admit his sin but he didn't given a chance to live. And for us it is a big challenge in our life as a children of God who hunger and thirst for Him. This very moment of our life God given us the chance through His word that we need to destroy the thing that lead us to destruction and the things that hinders us to be with God.
Let's acknowledge and devote ourselves to God everyday of our life whatever we do. We need to strive for his Holy presence to be with us. And If God is with us, who could ever stop us. and if our God is with us then who can stand against us.
Photo by: Nathaniel Callanta
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