August 7 -- "Get Rid of the Devoted Things"

 Today’s Reading: Joshua 7

"Get Rid of the Devoted Things"

In today's passage we read of a very “little” thing had a profound effect on the entire nation of Israel. The Lord had told the Israelites, “there is an accursed thing in your midst.”  Hidden among you, O Israel, are things that are despised and rejected by the LORD.  God was displeased that Israel had not been fully obedient to Him in the conquest of Jericho. One of the people, Achan, secretly kept for himself what he should have destroyed.  Therefore, when the Israelites moved on to attack the much smaller town of Ai, God allowed them to be driven back and to suffer unexpected losses.  

God told Joshua the reason for Israel’s defeat. One person’s sin concerning the devoted things of Jericho was enough to break the agreement that the whole nation had made with God, and so bring disaster upon it.  Evidently, Achan had confiscated some of the pagan idols and other religious artifacts that were used by the Canaanites in their worship of false gods. God was not pleased.  This act brought an impurity into Achan’s life, his family, his tribe, and his nation.  God demanded purity amongst His people and God insisted that Israel rid itself of these cursed things.

We too can be guilty of bringing “cursed things” into our life, family, church, and community.  Anytime we hold on to sin in our hearts, we are keeping back for ourself something that God has commanded us to destroy.  And to be sure – it only takes a “little” sin to bring defeat into our lives. The works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, lust, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like.  If we allow any of these “little” sins to remain unchallenged in our lives, we are bringing defeat into our spiritual life.  Rid yourself of these things.

Just as Achan was commanded to get rid of the accursed things, so we too must “put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.” (Colssians 3:8-10)

Thus says the LORD God of Israel, “there is an accursed thing in your midst.”  Rid yourself of the cursed things in your own heart and life or you, too, may suffer unexpected losses at the hands of your enemies.