A Prayer to Obey When Confronted with Temptations – Your Everyday Prayer – August 25

A Prayer to Obey When Faced with Temptations
By Chelsey DeMatteis

“Israel has sinned they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them they have taken some of the devoted things they have stolen and lied and place them among their own possessions.” – Joshua 7:11

I have unquestionably beloved my time researching the e book of Joshua, it’s a current preferred book of the Bible with our almost 5-yr-outdated! It’s convicted me and inspired me. Most of all, the Holy Spirit has prompted me to glimpse at the regions of my existence that I’ve established on the back again burner.

As I study by means of the guide my jaw dropped at the events that unfolded in Joshua chapter 7. (I love when God’s Phrase does this.) In this part of scripture, we check out the Israelites set out to destroy Ai. Having said that, that prepare did not pan out the way Joshua experienced hoped – they had been defeated and dismayed. This despatched Joshua to his knees in an outcry to God. He couldn’t fully grasp why God authorized them to get rid of this struggle. 

“God responded to Joshua, ‘Get up! Why have you fallen on your deal with? Israel has sinned they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them they have taken some of the devoted issues they have stolen and lied and put them among the their individual belongings. Therefore the folks of Israel simply cannot stand in advance of their enemies. They turn their backs prior to their enemies, due to the fact they have turn into devoted for destruction. I will be with you no far more, except you ruin the devoted factors from between you.’” – Joshua 7:10-12 

Just one guy, by the title Achan, chose to maintain a number of of the extremely things God commanded be ruined when He gave Jericho to the Israelites. Something we know about God and His character is He doesn’t give l commands as selections but as guidelines and boundaries that have to be obeyed. And when these instructions are not obeyed there will usually be a consequence. Mainly because we provide a holy and loving God.

What God phone calls Joshua to do as a consequence to Achan remaining me speechless but reminds us however again of the holy God we serve. “And he who is taken with the devoted issues shall be burned with fireplace, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and since he has performed an outrageous point in Israel.’” Joshua 7:15

Jaw-dropping ideal? “All” Achan has need to be destroyed. This intended not only the belongings in his tent but his overall family members. Every little thing. What an amazingly intestine-wrenching yet genuine instance of what comes about when we choose to defy God and His commands of us. When we can relaxation certain our household and all our belongings aren’t heading to be bodily wrecked by the persons in our community the destruction of the sinful decision to defy God still destroys so substantially. Inside of our hearts and ripples into the lives of those people about us.

Achan was no distinct than you and I. He did what lots of do on a daily basis. Acquire the bait of defying God in secret, concealing it in the dark, then wind up feeling the weight of daily life unraveling as God provides the fact to the gentle and repercussions begin. 

My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will use Joshua 7 to convict you in the exact way it did me. I pray it brings about you to see the locations of your existence you’ve tucked absent (significant or small), hoping no just one will confront them. There is liberty in factors coming to the gentle and by God’s grace, we dwell on this facet of the cross – in which redemption and hope are presented mainly because of Christ.

Let us pray:

Lord, thank you for the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I request that You go my heart to a surrendered location that craves closeness with You. Father, I pray that as I grow in the awareness of what you command of me, I will stick to You boldly. Assist me see that the penalties I experience because of to sin are out of Your like for me – You self-control me as a father disciplines his little one. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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