How can we ensure our actions align with God’s will to avoid judgment? Achan’s Catastrophic Choice “Why have you brought this trouble upon us? The LORD will bring trouble upon you today.” (Joshua 7:25) Achan secretly kept spoils God had forbidden. His hidden sin cost an entire nation victory, and it cost him his life. The passage leaves no room for doubt: God judges disobedience. Tracing the Misstep • Command ignored – Joshua 6:18 had clearly warned, “Keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction.” • Greed entertained – Achan “saw… coveted… took” (Joshua 7:21). • Secrecy maintained – He buried the items beneath his tent, thinking no one would notice. • Community affected – Thirty-six soldiers died; Israel’s courage melted (Joshua 7:5). • Judgment executed – The stoning in the Valley of Achor (Trouble) shows sin’s real-time consequences. How to Align Our Actions with God’s Will 1. Hear the Word consistently • “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105) • Regular reading keeps God’s commands clear, not hazy. 2. Examine the heart quickly • “Search me, O God… see if there is any offensive way in me.” (Psalm 139:23-24) • Honest self-audit prevents small compromises from rooting. 3. Confess and forsake immediately • “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive.” (1 John 1:9) • Delay invites discipline; prompt confession restores fellowship. 4. Obey even when no one is watching • “The eyes of the LORD are everywhere.” (Proverbs 15:3) • Secret faithfulness shields us from secret folly. 5. Renew the mind daily • “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God.” (Romans 12:2) • Saturation in truth shapes choices before temptation strikes. 6. Stay accountable to godly community • “Encourage one another daily… so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13) • Trusted believers can spot danger we overlook. 7. Remember sowing and reaping • “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.” (Galatians 6:7) • Future consequences give present obedience weight. Guarding Against Hidden Compromise • Little luxuries that dishonor God grow into larger rebellions. • Private victories—turning off a show, deleting a flirtatious text, returning an overpayment—build a conscience that stays tender. • Achan’s secret stash looked harmless; in God’s eyes it was “devoted to destruction.” Our culture may applaud certain sins, but God’s verdict never changes. Living under Grace, Not Presumption Grace forgives, yet it never licenses rebellion. Romans 6:1-2 presses the question: “Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? By no means!” Forgiven people cherish obedience precisely because they are forgiven. Walking Carefully, Joyfully When the Israelites purged the sin, “the LORD turned from His burning anger” (Joshua 7:26). Restoration followed judgment. Today, keeping short accounts with God, treasuring His Word, and leaning on His Spirit ensure our steps please Him—and turn valleys of trouble into doorways of hope (Hosea 2:15). |
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