Daily Devotional
Is Your Heart Open Before God?
“And Achan answered Joshua and said, ‘Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and this is what I have done: When I saw among the spoils a beautiful Babylonian garment, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. And there they are, hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent, with the silver under it.’”
Joshua 7:20-21
July 24, 2024
Ponder This
There was a progression of Achan’s sin. He said, “I saw.” Then, he said, “I coveted.” Now an unlawful desire is beginning to build in his heart. The octopus of sin is beginning to wrap its tentacles around his soul. This was the time when he should’ve confessed. This was the time when he should’ve said, “Oh, God, something is growing in my heart that is wrong, unclean, and impure.” But he didn’t do this. Achan was a thief in his heart first. A man is not a thief because he steals, he steals because he’s a thief; it began in his heart.
First, he saw, then he coveted, then he took. You may believe you would never do such a thing. But if you put yourself in that situation—seeing unlawful things and letting covetousness grow—when that opportunity comes, you’re primed to take. Then he said, “I hid.” This is the worst of all. Many have buried some unclean thing, and the worst thing of all is to hide it and keep it hidden. Private sin is never really private. What you cover, God will uncover, but what you uncover, God will cover.
- Is there an area of sin that is festering in your life? What have you done about it?
- Why are we prone to hide our sins? What should we do instead?
Practice This
Confess to God your sin as well as any desires in your heart that could lead to sinful action.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
