Then the Lord turned from his fierce anger. (Josh. 7:26)
The full history of the world is really a story of redemption. God seeks after mankind, but does so without compromising his holy character. God is not capricious and given to sudden outbursts of anger. Nor does he struggle with self-esteem issues. He isn’t pacing back and forth in front of his throne, biting his nails, hoping, wondering, praying to himself, that he says or does the right thing to keep us happy and seeking him. No, God is a holy God and demands nothing short of obedience from those who willingly choose to follow and serve him.
God was angry with Achan for many reasons, but I suspect the main reason was that Achan didn’t trust him. It wasn’t just that Achan chose “stuff” over God, but that he didn’t take God seriously enough and therefore failed to realize that God wanted to provide the deepest longings of his heart. Simply put, Achan trusted his heart over God’s.
To those of us on the outside looking in, Achan’s consequence seem harsh, However, when you remember that sin is invasive, God’s response to the situation is on point after all. When God says not to do something, he means it. The next time you are tempted to consider things—prestige, reputation, money, (you name it)—over God, just remember that there are very real consequences to your actions.
Don’t let anything get in the way of your relationship with God.
Devon Smith is district superintendent of the Tri-State District of The Wesleyan Church, and founder/director of the CROSS Training ordination program at Oklahoma Wesleyan University.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
