Topic: Destroying the Divides [Monday July 3, 2017]
Read: Joshua 7:1–12, Bible in a Year: Job 25–27; Acts 12
I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy whatever among you is devoted to destruction. Joshua 7:12
A writing deadline loomed over me, while the argument I had with my husband earlier that morning swirled through my mind. I stared at the blinking cursor, fingertips resting on the keyboard. He was wrong too, Lord.
When the computer screen went black, my reflection scowled. My unacknowledged wrongs were doing more than hindering the work before me. They were straining my relationship with my husband and my God.
By submitting to our loving Creator and Sustainer daily, we can serve Him and enjoy His presence.
I grabbed my cell phone, swallowed my pride, and asked for forgiveness. Savoring the peace of reconciliation when my spouse apologized as well, I thanked God and finished my article on time.
The Israelites experienced the pain of personal sin and joy of restoration. Joshua warned God’s people not to enrich themselves in the battle for Jericho (Josh. 6:18), but Achan stole captured items and hid them in his tent (7:1). Only after his sin was exposed and dealt with (vv. 4–12) did the nation enjoy reconciliation with their God.
Like Achan, we don’t always consider how “tucking sin into our tents” turns our hearts from God and impacts those around us. Acknowledging Jesus as Lord, admitting our sin, and seeking forgiveness provides the foundation for healthy and faithful relationships with God and others. By submitting to our loving Creator and Sustainer daily, we can serve Him and enjoy His presence—together.
Prayer: Lord, please help us recognize, confess, and turn away from our sin, so that we can nurture loving relationships with You and others.
God can purge our hearts of the sin that destroys our intimacy with Him and others.
This message was written By Xochitl Dixon [Our Daily Bread Ministries.]