Stop Digging
In James 1:13-15 says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”
There is an old adage that says, “The first step to get out of a hole is stop digging.” In other words, acknowledge that you're in a hole and stop doing what got you there. Deal with your sin.
For the last two Sunday mornings, we have been in Joshua chapters 7 and 8. These two chapters go together and the combined point of both of them is that if you are going to walk in victory, you cannot lie down in defeat.
Israel found itself in a hole. They had defeated Jericho and next faced a smaller city called Ai. Joshua sent 3,000 men to fight Ai and Ai defeated the Israelites. In the battle, thirty-six Israelites lost their lives.
Joshua and his fellow elders are stunned and the defeat literally knocked them down as they fell on their faces before God, tore their clothes, and threw dust on their heads as a sign of humility. Joshua cried out to the LORD and in his prayer, he blames God for their defeat, “Alas, O Lord God, why did You ever bring this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us?” (Joshua 7:7) Joshua thought so highly of himself and his people that it never dawned on him that the blame was in his own camp.
Just like God was not to blame for the Israelites defeat, He is not to blame for your condition either. Whatever defeated situation that you find yourself in at the moment, the one thing that you can count on is that God is not the one at fault. So stop looking there and start looking within your own camp, your heart.
God’s response to Joshua was, “Rise up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face? Israel has sinned…” (Joshua 7:10-11). God told Joshua to get up and deal with his sin.
When Joshua began the long, arduous task of interviewing his fellow Hebrews, he finally came to a man named Achan. Joshua begged Achan to bare his soul and tell the truth. So Achan confessed but his confession was not voluntary. He was under pressure. He had been caught.
His confession was that as he was going through Jericho, he saw a beautiful robe, silver coins, and a bar of gold. He wanted them so he took them. He saw, he wanted, he took. He was carried away and enticed by his own lust and took them. Had he simply noticed them and how beautiful they were and walked away, there would be no sin. But He wanted them, he envisioned himself in possession of them, and this led him to take them. He sinned and that sin brought death.
God had provided for Achan his entire life. The LORD had performed miracle after miracle in Achan’s presence. In spite of all that, Achan took what was the LORD’s and in doing so was telling God, “You are not sufficient! I want more!” Such is the sin of Achan and such is the sin of each of us.
If you want to get out of your hole, stop digging by dealing with your sin. Look within the camp of your heart and confess to the LORD, not by compulsion but out of brokenness, “a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”(Psalm 51:17) When you do that, you will find victory and the ability to get up out of your hole of defeat.
These are your Words for Wednesday. Have a great rest of your week!
In Christ,
Kevin
There is an old adage that says, “The first step to get out of a hole is stop digging.” In other words, acknowledge that you're in a hole and stop doing what got you there. Deal with your sin.
For the last two Sunday mornings, we have been in Joshua chapters 7 and 8. These two chapters go together and the combined point of both of them is that if you are going to walk in victory, you cannot lie down in defeat.
Israel found itself in a hole. They had defeated Jericho and next faced a smaller city called Ai. Joshua sent 3,000 men to fight Ai and Ai defeated the Israelites. In the battle, thirty-six Israelites lost their lives.
Joshua and his fellow elders are stunned and the defeat literally knocked them down as they fell on their faces before God, tore their clothes, and threw dust on their heads as a sign of humility. Joshua cried out to the LORD and in his prayer, he blames God for their defeat, “Alas, O Lord God, why did You ever bring this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us?” (Joshua 7:7) Joshua thought so highly of himself and his people that it never dawned on him that the blame was in his own camp.
Just like God was not to blame for the Israelites defeat, He is not to blame for your condition either. Whatever defeated situation that you find yourself in at the moment, the one thing that you can count on is that God is not the one at fault. So stop looking there and start looking within your own camp, your heart.
God’s response to Joshua was, “Rise up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face? Israel has sinned…” (Joshua 7:10-11). God told Joshua to get up and deal with his sin.
When Joshua began the long, arduous task of interviewing his fellow Hebrews, he finally came to a man named Achan. Joshua begged Achan to bare his soul and tell the truth. So Achan confessed but his confession was not voluntary. He was under pressure. He had been caught.
His confession was that as he was going through Jericho, he saw a beautiful robe, silver coins, and a bar of gold. He wanted them so he took them. He saw, he wanted, he took. He was carried away and enticed by his own lust and took them. Had he simply noticed them and how beautiful they were and walked away, there would be no sin. But He wanted them, he envisioned himself in possession of them, and this led him to take them. He sinned and that sin brought death.
God had provided for Achan his entire life. The LORD had performed miracle after miracle in Achan’s presence. In spite of all that, Achan took what was the LORD’s and in doing so was telling God, “You are not sufficient! I want more!” Such is the sin of Achan and such is the sin of each of us.
If you want to get out of your hole, stop digging by dealing with your sin. Look within the camp of your heart and confess to the LORD, not by compulsion but out of brokenness, “a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”(Psalm 51:17) When you do that, you will find victory and the ability to get up out of your hole of defeat.
These are your Words for Wednesday. Have a great rest of your week!
In Christ,
Kevin
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