Get up, sanctify the people, and say,
“Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because thus says the LORD God of Israel:
‘There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before
your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.'” Joshua
7:13
Just as
the obedience of one Christian can bring blessing to others, the sin of one
Christian can bring harm to many others. The children of Israel were rapidly
advancing into the Promised Land. They had experienced a miraculous victory
over the city of Jericho, and they were continuing toward their next conquest.
To their surprise they met decisive defeat as they attempted to capture the
small town of Ai. They sought God’s explanation for their failure, and He
provided it. He revealed that someone among them had disobeyed His clear
command not to keep any possession from Jericho. The disobedience of one man
and his family had paralyzed an entire nation! Achan thought he could conceal
his sin and it would not affect anyone else. God chose to demonstrate the
destructive power of one sin to His people. One act of disobedience cost Achan
and his family their lives. It caused his countrymen to lose the battle;
innocent soldiers were killed. His sin had serious repercussions for others,
denying them the blessing, power, and victory of God.
Your sin
will have an impact on others. Choosing to disobey God may cost your family
God’s blessing. The power of God may be absent from your church because you are
living in disobedience. Your friends may suffer because you are not living
righteously. Diligently seek to obey every word from God, for you do not know
how your disobedience could affect those around you. Scripture promises that if
you will obey the Lord, your life will be a channel of blessing to others
Psalm 37:25–26
I was young and now I am old, yet I
have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
They are always generous and lend
freely; their children will be blessed.
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