"For this is what the LORD, the god of Israel, says: Hidden among you O Israel, are things set apart for the LORD. You will never defeat your enemies until you remove these things from among you." (Joshua 7:13)
Nothing is hidden from the LORD. We think we are so sneaky, don't we? I know many times I think, "No one knows this but me. No one sees me so its alright. I am not causing anyone to stumble or hurting my witness therefore my behavior is acceptable." This mindset leads to a life without victory. Life empty. Life defeated.
The LORD has His own way of cleaning house. He knew the guilty party was Achan. But Achan's sin needed to be exposed. The possessions that belonged to the LORD needed to be returned. How tragic for the family of Achan!
How tragic for us. Too often we are content to live powerless lives without victory because we have held onto something that LORD does not want us to have. Surrendering to the Lord what He asks for be it time, talent, tithe, what we watch, listen to or read will bring victory in our lives like that of the Ai.
The Lord has His own way of cleaning house. He comes in the person of the Holy Spirit. His job is to convict us to purge what is in our lives that is not of the Lord and to guide us to surrender unto the Lord what belongs to Him. I like to call Him, the Holy Spirit, the Mighty Motivator.
I need to spend some with Mighty Motivator and allow Him to convict and guide me in some house cleaning. I know there is some junk buried deep under my tent.
The Lord has His own way of cleaning house. He comes in the person of the Holy Spirit. His job is to convict us to purge what is in our lives that is not of the Lord and to guide us to surrender unto the Lord what belongs to Him. I like to call Him, the Holy Spirit, the Mighty Motivator.
I need to spend some with Mighty Motivator and allow Him to convict and guide me in some house cleaning. I know there is some junk buried deep under my tent.
19 Comments:
Hidden things that keep us from the true Treasure. How sad. They impair our relationship with the Lord and keep us in a cycle of defeat. They entice, yet they injure our walk with the Lord. Father, purge all such buried things. The very fact that we must 'hide' them, speaks volumes. We're not hiding them because of their value, but because of our shame.
I hate that the "Valley of Trouble" (Joshua 7:26) caught my eye, but I truly feel that I'm living there right now. Surrounded by insurmountable hills on either side, any attempts to leave have been thwarted. Just like the men of Ai were "caught in the middle with fighters on both sides" (Joshua 8:22), the women of Dale are surrounded.
So thankful that beyond what we can see, "the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them", Psalm 34:7.
Still waiting and trusting in that deliverance. It could be today.
Ever hopeful,
Joy
Dear Joy, you are so on my mind and prayer list. I know this must a very difficult time for you.
I thought today's reading was really good. Wendy and Joy, thanks for all the insights you both always share. I can relate to buried sin and needing to clean house. A week and a half ago sin in my own heart caused conflict and division among some women I care deeply about. For a year I have carried these feelings of anger and resentment around with me. I have prayed over and over again for God to help me forgive and help me let it go but I have not been able to give it totally over to Him. As a result, things were said at a time of stress and fatigue that I should not have said. It was overheard and more problems were caused. God used this whole situation to show me how important it is to deal with sin in my life. All sin. Everything He says is to give us life and peace. The way my sin was revealed was not pretty, but on the other side of it I am glad it was because I am at peace again and so are all the others involved.
Have a Blessed Day!
Brandee
Morning Girls,
We've watched Joshua obey God up until today. When he did not ask God for His Will, they were defeated. God exposed the sin. Then, Joshua followed God's Will the next time and the Israelites were able to defeat Al. But, the next part I enjoyed so much...after they had had their success---defeating the army, they could have begun to get proud and think they were pretty tough...but, no...they built an alter...and GATHERED ALL AROUND...THE WOMEN...CHILDREN..FOREIGNERS...
EVERYONE...AND READ THE BOOK OF INSTURCTION! Oh my gosh, that is what touched me!
More and more through this Bible study I have seen that God works with us when we are in his Word.
It is hard enough to obey Him and listen to Him. For me, only through daily studying His Word, is it remotely even possible. I love the thought of Him talking to me as I read His Words. We are so blessed to be able to own a precious Bible. There are so many nations still where people are not allowed to do this.
Wendy, I loved your term..."Mighty Motivator!" No matter what "valley" we each are in at the moment, our God is with us!
Thank you for your openness, Brandee! God loves when we talk about His Glory!
When we ask Him to clean our heart and to show us the evil on our heart, He will. Several months ago, He opened up conceit on my heart that I had know idea was there. I wish I could go into details, but it would take too long. It was a 2 week time with the LORD, my first experience of ever seeing Him so involved with me on such a personal level over a period of time. He brought me to my knees and opened my eyes and spoke volumes to me. He allowed something to happen to me physically, and then walked with me for that short period of time. Then, he healed me, and the moment I knew I praised Him all the way home...and felt Joy like I've never felt before! I loved Him more. At that time I saw my God as BIG. I didn't know about the conceit on my heart, but had heard that it was good to pray and ask God to uncover it...He did and I love him with all of my heart for it!
Gotta get going...love you, love you sister's.
Lori - Mesa, AZ
PS I'm sure those Gibonites are going to cause problems later on!
Joy, thinking about your possible deliverance today...that puts a smile on my face! All things are possible with our might God! :)
I too had a season or seasons in my life where God was nudging me to come out of sin and I did not heed to them. God trys to deal with us in private but if we do not listen He will bring it out publicly. Yeah it hurt but I am so happy that I am free and living in truth is so much better. :) It's not easy for me (probably not anybody) to let God Correct me, but I am wise enough to know that it is much better to get a spiritual spanking than to live without God's protection.
I did wonder if God was going to be angry at Joshua for not consulting with Him before agreeing to not harm them, but I guess not.
I have prayed for all of you to have a blessed day.
Lynn - OR
Morning Ladies,
In vs 13 He command’s the people to purify themselves for the next day. Then it goes on to say things are hidden among them that set them apart from Him. Nothing remains hidden from God!
During this divorce I have had to face some “hidden things” among my heart, jealousy, greed and envy just to name a few. It is never easy to crack the door to our own darkness especially when we feel like the one who was hurt. I have been real careful to let my children know that divorce is never one person’s fault, it takes two to make and two to break. What I got from the reading today was that I will continue to deal with my issues of sin over and over until I deal with them in the God’s light. That is why it is so comforting to know that I have the same loving God in the valley’s as I do on the mountain tops.
I would appreciate some healing prayers. It seems the nasty cold bug has bitten me over the weekend. Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week I have to run a very important culinary competition at the beach and can’t afford to be sick. I have been worried about my pain levels, not factoring in the sickness. Just pray for healing and strength.
For now off the beauty shop,
Diane
Good morning ladies,
Joy, you and your family continue to be in my prayers. Diane, I prayed for your healing and for strength for a successful competition this week.
I was struggling with the death of Acham's family in today's reading. I read some commentaries that think the children were spared and were called as witnesses, and other commentaries that think they died as well because they were accomplices with their father in hiding the things set apart for God. I guess we won't know for sure in this lifetime. But as I pondered these things, a verse came to me which as it happens is also the verse for today on Bible gateway:
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”- Romans 6:23
As I go through the OT, I see over and over again that not following God's will results in death. I am SO thankful all over again that Jesus came not to condemn us, but to save us, and to give us eternal life!
Thank you again ladies, it is always so enriching spending time each day with you all!
Karen, CA
I researched why Achan's family all had to die with him. It's always hard to read that. One commentary suggested that they kept his secret about the stolen articles instead of turning him in.
I'm trusting in a just, all-knowing God.
Also when it states that the Isrealites did not consult the Lord regarding the Gibeonites...I wrote "uh-oh" in my margin. But God is not surprised at anything; all things work for His good, even when we don't consult Him first. How many times have I done that? Consulted God last, after I've made a mess of things? Eegads, too many times to count.
God too has "spanked" me for things I've said and done. I'm glad He loves me so much to do so. The rebukes have hurt and humbled me; but I feel I truly learned from them. I know I'll screw up again and will face more time in the corner...hopefully I bury my face in His Word and learn again.
Have nice days, ladies...prayers for you Diane at this most difficult time.
Morgen - MN
Today I meditated on this same verse. "Search me, o Lord, show me if ther eis any offensive way in me." The temptation to hide rather than deal with our bad habits and sin always comes back to haunt us!
Thank you for sharing my heart today, Wendy.
Joy, I'm praying for you and I also thought of you and stopped and prayed when I read about the "Valley of Trouble" Isn't God so good? Trusting Him for your deliverance today, sister.
Lori, I had a similar experience a number of years ago. I was taking Kay Arthur's study on the Sermon on the Mount...All the blessed's. Then we came to "Blessed are the pure in heart." We had a season of looking at the purity of Christ, then there was a section called the Sin Sheets. Each person had to answer questions about things they had done or thought in their life. They were not to be shared with anyone. It was between you and God. Very personal questions. When I finished I was horrified at the answers I had had to put down. It was so different than the purity of Christ.I didn't know all that was in my heart. You couldn't NOT answer correctly because GOD ALREADY KNEW. The first thing I wanted to do was to burn the sheets, but the Lord spoke to me and told me He already knew the answers, burning them wouldn't change what was in my heart. Then there was a section with verses to lead you in admitting all your sin by name to the Lord and asking Him for forgiveness. I made the mistake of concentrating on my sins, and not on His forgiveness. After several miserable weeks of thinking about what a horrible person I was, I went to the pastor and talked to him. Satan had used these weeks to tell me that I couldn't be saved, not with all that sin. I told the pastor, I felt I had never been saved. He knew me well, and he told me, "Jan don't mourn your sins so much that you forget what Christ HAS ALREADY DONE for you. He has already forgiven you, even before you asked Him to." It was like a light bulb had gone off...I KNEW I WAS FORGIVEN. The burden that Satan had put on my back for those several weeks rolled off, and I was free! It was wonderful!
If any of you want to take the Bible study, goggle Precept Ministries and you can order it...and it will change your life. It is the study Sermon on the Mount. But be prepared for Satan to attack you, he doesn't want you to bare your soul to the Lord.
Today's reading was quite revealing, wasn't it. I appreciate Wendy's commentary, and everyone's thoughts.
Jan TN
It's such a joy learning from all of you! Joy and Diane you are both in my prayers, all the promises in Christ are yea and amen, claim his promises through faith.
The Lord is the Umpire of my soul. Sometimes he calls the shot and I listen, other times I shout unfair, but in the end I know the only way to victory is through listening and obeying his every call.
Blessings!
Debbie - North Carolina
Thanks Jan,
That study sounds good! I plan to look it up.
Karen, CA
Very good today! Point made.. Basket..Score! Praying for everyone that it is that easy. If we would only recognize, pray for the strength of the "Mighty Motivator" to work in and through us, cleaning us house would be less difficult. Our "cleaning power" isn't sufficient. You're right! Only when we surrender these issues to Jesus and let Him be the Lord of our lives can things be made right. Why do you think that these issues continue to plague us? Why can we not let go? Why do we continue to ignore the Holy Spirit when he begins to prompt us to give something up?
Maybe the question we should ask ourselves is: Is my relationship with Christ more important than _____ in my life? The answer is always a resounding YES! Thank you all for helping me recognize and clean my house!
This is a test..I have never posted and am technologically challenged!!!
Jennie
We welcome all challenged people to join us in posting their thoughts.
Thanks
I told myself I'd only post once today; but, here I am again! I just had to say, yeah...Jeannie-I thought I was the only one w/out tech. savy! But, I am blessed to be able to type a mile a minute! :)Thank you, Lord!!!
I agree w/ Karen, "it is alwasy so enriching spending time each day with you all!" The more the merrier! Along, w/ Wendy's book yesterday, I'm adding your study to my "want" list Jan. Thanks!
Praying for your health dear Diane! Thank you for your open-ness...I really think God loves it when we are able to face issues and admit what is on our heart. For me, it's hard to love the people that have hurt me. Since God already knows everything...I've found it helps to just go ahead and 'talk it over' with him...tell Him and seek Help to be able to forgive with a loving heart. Oh, how hard when we are not filled with His spirit. Only through Him can we love. It's those thoughts that captivate our minds! Check out 2 Cor. 10:5...That verse has saved me. When thoughts start coming...I turn them over and start saying that verse over and over in my mind...
How to we make it through in this lustful and evil world...I can't say it any better than Morgen already told us..."Bury my face in His Word." :)
Love you gals oodles! Wish I could hug each one of you. You are bringing me closer to my Father each day! THANK YOU WENDY!
Lori - Mesa, AZ
Why do I repeatedly fail? My pastor's sermon Sunday was right on. The first commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind and to not have any Gods before Him.
Our main struggle comes because we are our own idols! We put ourselves first b/4 God...
Everyday I battle this sin.
Help me Jesus!
Morgen
Morgen,
A couple of years ago I took a Bible Study. The teacher said something to us that I'll never forget. She said, "if you only say one thing a day...say, "Dear Lord, Help me love you today with my whole heart." She went on to say, "pray this one prayer for each of your family members..."
For some reason, it stuck with me, and we seem to see God's Word repeat this over and over...I think you're right, it is the key!
Lori - Mesa, AZ
Hi Ladies! I know it's late but I don't get the Blog e-mail until late in the evening. Actually Wendy a friend of mine put this site on Google Reader for me so hopefully I will get to pull it up as soon as you post it and I am able to get to my computer! Thanks so much for your replies to my questions today!
I want to comment on how the Gibenites deceived Joshua and the Israelites. I believe the Gibenites were saved by their fear of the Lord...They so had faith to believe that the God of the Israel was a most powerful God and were willing to become servants even though it was through making a treaty through deception. It sure beat being slaughtered. I guess it surprised me that the Lord did not punish Joshua and Israel for not consulting Him before making the Treaty. I for sure thought another ambush was coming! But to my surprise the treaty was taken seriously as a vow made with God and could not be broken. This passage also brings to light How easily we are deceived or misled when we do not consult God with our ideas, plans, decisions, etc. May we all remember to consult the Lord on a daily basis especially with our plans. My husband has this saying that says "If you really want to make God laugh tell Him what you plan on doing tomorrow." I shared with Wendy in an e-mail that I am keeping a journal of insights the Lord has given me as I journey through the scriptures with all of you this year. I may not write in it every day but for sure when a scripture, insight or lesson pops out for me I do. I think I will enjoy looking back on all that was gleaned from this wonderful year of study. All your insights help me so much as well. They have helped me to think harder and dig deeper and to find how the Old Testament speaks to us today. Godd Night! Debbie in Illinois
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