Right from Wrong

By Words of Hope, Thursday, May 15, 2008

Read: Joshua 7:1, 16-21

Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the Lord God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done." (v. 19 ESV)

God gets great glory when we say to him: "I was wrong; you were right." It sounds simple, but we know in our hearts it's about as easy as doing long division on our toes. We don't like to admit we're wrong. We don't like having to acknowledge mistakes. We don't like having to say "I'm sorry" for our sins.

But God gets glory when we admit our mistakes because this demonstrates that we love God's good name more than our own. Confession of sin puts honoring God's will above maintaining our reputation. Jeremiah 13:16 says, "Give glory to the Lord your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains. . . ." Achan admitted his fault, but it was too late for him and his family. There would be consequences for his sin.

What about you? Will you tell God your secret sins—your affair, your pride, your lust, your bitterness—before it is too late? Will you make amends with those you've hurt and get right with God, or will you be like those lost souls who cursed the name of God and refused to repent and give him glory (Revelation 16:9)?

Prayer: Give me a heart, Lord, to confess my sins. Amen.

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