CAC LIVING WATER-ANY ACCURSED THINGS IN YOUR MIDST? (II)

LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL

ANY ACCURSED THINGS IN YOUR MIDST? (II)
23^RD , FEBRUARY 2022

EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Numbers 27-29

READ: Joshua 7:1-6, 16-25
[1]But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
[2]And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east side of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
[3]And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.

[4]So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
[5]And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
[6]And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

[16]So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken:
[17]And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken:
[18]And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.
[19]And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.
[20]And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
[21]When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
[22]So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.
[23]And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.
[24]And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor.
[25]And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.

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MEMORISE: "And Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day." So all Israel stoned him with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones."

."Joshua 7 :25

EXPOSITION 

When a man allows those things that God abhors to infiltrate and settle down in his life, he should be ready to come face to face with the consuming Fire of God (Heb. 12:21). That was sufficiently emphasized in the dose of our Living Water yesterday.

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What are the implications of allowing an accursed thing in our midst as a family, church, mission, or in our hearts as individuals? In the first place, it is like taking fire in one's bosom and expecting the clothes not to be burnt (Prov. 6:27). How is that possible? He who takes an accursed thing invites God's wrath (Jos. 7:1). It also brings corporate punishment and destruction (vv. 4,5). Achan eventually brought disaster, not only on himself, but also on everything/body that belonged to him. Harboring accursed things results in poverty, spiritually and otherwise.

Moreover, taking an accursed thing in turn takes away one's courage and boldness in the Lord (v. 5b 'therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water'). It also leads to the junction of confusion and delusion (v. 8). How terrible would it be for God to describe one as having 'sinned, and ... transgressed My covenant which I commanded them' (v. 11)? It is better imagined than to experience. Ask Joshua and those Israelites under him in the passage of our devotion today. This is so because God sees such a person as a thief and hypocrite (v. 11).

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Who would want to fall before his/her enemies (v. 12)? He who takes the accursed thing cannot escape such an experience, because he is himself divinely regarded as an accursed person (v. 12), and thus an enemy of the awesome God. What are those accursed things in your life, today - the skeletons in your cupboard, those things you would be ashamed of, if people were to know or hear of them? The only way out of the consequences is to destroy them (v. 12c), by accepting the lordship of Jesus Christ and allowing the visitation of the sanctifying power of His blood.

PRAYER POINT:

1. Thank God for the assurance of forgiveness and salvation in Christ Jesus.
2. Pray that any accursed thing, known and unknown, in your life, be removed, in the name and by the power of Jesus.
3. Pray that God would visit altars in our homes and churches with His consuming fire to remove all filths of falsehood and demonic influences.

DO HAVE A BLESSED DAY

©2022 LIVING WATERS IS a daily devotional by THE CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH