Achan replied, “It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel.”
Joshua 7:20 (NIV)
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’”
Luke 15:21 (NIV)
Lord Jesus, You amaze me! As I reflect this morning upon the passages of Scripture that You have laid before me, I see that You require confession. Regardless of what I may believe the consequences will be, You require that I confess my sins to You, honestly laying my heart before You, revealing where I truly am. This is foundational to a healthy relationship with You and with others. Yes, as I reflect upon the outcome of each, Achan’s demise and the prodigal’s restoration, my soul trembles, being reminded that I can choose my sins but I can’t choose my consequences. But in the tenderness of Joshua’s admonishment (Joshua 7:19) and the joyous response of the prodigal’s father (Luke 15:22-24) I see a God of compassion Who is beckoning me to just come home. You remind me that all of heaven rejoices over one sinner’s repentance (Luke 15:7).
So today, I lay before You all of my sins, not just the blatantly obvious ones. But those deep hidden ones, the ones that I have “buried in my tent” and hidden below the surface. I confess my squandering of the time, talent and treasures You have given to me, and confess how I have not loved the way You have required. Help me to not only lay these things before You but to also flee from them, putting them into my past, never doing them again. Contine to strengthen me and my resolve that I might move towards holiness in You. I know that on this side of eternity I shall not live a completely sin-free life. However, You have promised to continue to transform me into Your image day-by-day. I’m living for that.
Master, thank You for revealing to me how You received the prodigal. Yes, I tremble when I think about Achan’s demise. However, even though the consequences of his sin cost him his life and his family’s life, my soul finds comfort in knowing that in You I no longer have to fear the full and ultimate consequences of my sins. You have taken them upon Yourself on my behalf. Help me to live as one who is redeemed today, pointing others to You and giving You glory through a tender and repentant heart. Amen. N