But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel. (Joshua 7:1 NIV - read all of Joshua 7 for the consequences the whole people face)
Have you ever noticed how in a family or a church or any type of community for that matter; when everything seems to be going great and the people are enjoying immense blessings, someone decides they have to break faith and do something really stupid and it throws everyone into chaos? Everyone gets to suffer the consequences of one persons bad choices. I see it happen all the time. People forget that no matter what it is that they do, no matter how little or big, their actions will affect others for the good or the bad.
The whole of Israel suffered the consequences of the sins of Achan. When he was caught, the cost of his sin against God and his people was his life.
We do not live in a vacuum as some might suppose. I have heard more times than I can even remember, "I'm not hurting anyone but myself." That is wrong. Whenever we choose to break faith with God or anyone else who loves us, to do what seems to be pleasing and most beneficial for ourselves, we hurt everyone around us. Whenever we choose to live life in a self-serving manner our children learn from us and consequently their lives will exhibit the chaos, the loneliness, the broken relationships that comes from a broken faith and broken relationship with God.
It is like throwing a pebble into the water, the effect is that the ripples just keep spreading outward. Just as everyone around us suffers from our breaking the faith with God and pursuing false gods, so everyone benefits from the goodness of the one who did not/does not break faith with Him, Jesus Christ our LORD.
May God help us to put aside the false gods that we think will benefit us and to pursue those things that will benefit the whole community, the whole Body of Christ.
The whole of Israel suffered the consequences of the sins of Achan. When he was caught, the cost of his sin against God and his people was his life.
We do not live in a vacuum as some might suppose. I have heard more times than I can even remember, "I'm not hurting anyone but myself." That is wrong. Whenever we choose to break faith with God or anyone else who loves us, to do what seems to be pleasing and most beneficial for ourselves, we hurt everyone around us. Whenever we choose to live life in a self-serving manner our children learn from us and consequently their lives will exhibit the chaos, the loneliness, the broken relationships that comes from a broken faith and broken relationship with God.
It is like throwing a pebble into the water, the effect is that the ripples just keep spreading outward. Just as everyone around us suffers from our breaking the faith with God and pursuing false gods, so everyone benefits from the goodness of the one who did not/does not break faith with Him, Jesus Christ our LORD.
May God help us to put aside the false gods that we think will benefit us and to pursue those things that will benefit the whole community, the whole Body of Christ.
God's Peace - Pr. J
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