Joshua 7

"God said to Joshua, “Get up. Why are you groveling? Israel has sinned: They’ve broken the covenant I commanded them; they’ve taken forbidden plunder—stolen and then covered up the theft, squirreling it away with their own stuff. The People of Israel can no longer look their enemies in the eye—they themselves are plunder. I can’t continue with you if you don’t rid yourselves of the cursed things. So get started. Purify the people. Tell them: Get ready for tomorrow by purifying yourselves. For this is what God, the God of Israel, says: There are cursed things in the camp. You won’t be able to face your enemies until you have gotten rid of these cursed things."

There is so much in this chapter. Rebellion. Greed. Pride. Anger. Hurt. Desperation. Sin.

He says he can't move us forward when we are full of sin. But, God can and will use us if we walk in repentance, forgiveness, healing, freedom and obedience.

I have been reading over this chapter for nearly 1 week, sitting with the Lord to let Him dissect each part of it for me. When the words started carving their way deep down into my heart, it took me back to the place I was in my life several years ago. Even though I am living in freedom from the sin that weighed me down, I am often reminding of that difficult place. I can let satan use those dark memories to discourage me, distract me, and deter me; or I can stand in confidence of the victory the Lord has placed over my life. I choose to stand.

So, standing next to the Lord today, I see that it took me getting rid of all the junk I had plundered from what He was giving me. The Lord set me up when I gave my life to him, to master and conquer all that would come against me. But, just like Achan, so many times I took advantage of the gifts, rather than being obedient to them. Oh the temptations that come our way. Every day I am faced with them, regardless of what they may look like, they are there. Every day I have to choose victory over them. Every day I could easily become like Achan. Every day God saves me from falling back into that place.

“God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners.”
― Søren Kierkegaard, The Journals of Kierkegaard