See, Expose, and Conquer

Saturday, December 10th, 2011

Today's Passage: Joshua chapter 7
Memory Verse> Josh. 7: 21

"I saw it, I wanted it, so I took it.". Three elements that are at the root of every sin against God. No matter how straightforward He is with us about our conduct and how it affects the rest of our lives, we see people, places and things, and the spirit of lust takes over. The minute we begin to lust after whatever it is is the exact minute we must expose, bind and neutralize that thing. Before we know it, we've crossed the line, and there's no going back. That issue or addiction ends up not being tagged for total destruction, and it lies there, still breathing, gaining strength daily and drawing more elements like it to make it super powerful and ready for the takeover.

"I saw it, I wanted it, so I took it." These words have been repeated since Adam and Eve sinned against God, and the evidence of this pattern is clearly seen in today's passage. The children of Israel were not even aware of the transgression against God until they suffered the consequences. When they couldn't defeat a small army like Ai, then they stopped to figure out why and inquired of the Lord. Something I noticed about this story, too, is that iniquity is generational-- that is, it is passed down through our DNA when our ancestors choose to sin against God. So God had them separate each tribe, then each clan, then each family until the thing was exposed, bound, neutralized and tagged for death. After all this was done, Achan was found to be the guilty one, and this is the point when he confessed.

When asked why the sin was committed, Achan repeated those famous words. But he revealed the heart that many of us have when it comes to resisting the takeover. Why DON'T we shout at the top of our lungs for help when we're confronted with "I saw and I wanted"? Why don't we call someone and expose that temptation so that it doesn't become conceived in us? The time to confess to someone isn't AFTER the defeat and the exposure-- because Satan will expose us himself if God doesn't -- but when the struggle becomes real to us. When Achan saw those items from the other nation that God said to destroy, why didn't he grab a fellow Israelite or go to Joshua and say, "I'm struggling with this obedience thing. Remind me again of what God says, and help me to stand rather than fall to the temptation." Instead, he hid his desire and took the forbidden items. And one selfish act brought death to an entire family.

We hold on to items that should be marked and tagged for death as a foreign substance because we make our desire for that thing stronger than our desire to please God. It's that simple. At that moment, we don't care that God loves us and has something bigger and better. We just want that person, place, or thing. At that moment, we don't even care that this thing is going to ultimately destroy us. We will begin to experience victory over it when we stop treating it like a friendly and expose it. When we replace our desire for that thing with a desperation to please God at that very moment, the enemy doesn't stand a chance. Submit to God's way and resist the enemy, THEN, the Word says, he will flee. Our way doesn't work. Find a person who will hold us accountable when we struggle, because going to hide only causes us to be isolated and vulnerable to the temptation. It comes down to this: do we REALLY want to be totally devoted, or only in words? The way we respond to temptation will tell the story. How about breaking the cycle and coming up with a NEW plan-- God's plan-- for deliverance? "I saw it, I exposed it, so I conquered it!" Now THERE are words worth repeating.

Prayer: Father, I acknowledge my transgression in Your Presence, and my sin is ever before me. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Don't allow my enemies to triumph over me. By Your grace, allow me to submit to Your plan and resist the enemy rather than give in. I am Yours, and I choose to be totally free, not only halfway so. Break my will, and YOU take over in Jesus' Name. Amen.