Monday 6 June 2011

Secret Prison



Read Joshua chapter 7

“We do everything in our power to ensure that we will never see the face of God, but God does everything in His power to ensure that we will – aren’t you happy that God is so much more powerful?” – Louie Giglio.

What is your prison? The thing that holds you in, restricts you and ultimately affects the way you act. In a Christian sense, this is the aspect of your life that is stopping you from getting closer to God, or growing in Him. The characteristic stopping you from becoming the person God wants you to be, or the issue preventing you from reaching your full potential in Christ!
It’s the thing in your life, in you, that is crippling your spirituality!!!

A prison in your life, or the bars holding you back can be a number of things: things you have chosen to do or continue to do, things that have happened to you that was out of your control, bad experiences or events from your past that raise up unforgiveness, grief, guilt, resentment – feelings that aren’t from God. These things hold us back, they become the bars that restrict us, we let them get hold of us and start controlling the way we live.

In Joshua 7, we see how Achan’s sin affected Israel – the rest of the Israelites weren’t even aware of the sin that had crept into their camp and it had resulted in them losing the battle against the city of Ai, who they would have normally crushed. This all came from the people’s disobedience towards God and breaking the command that He gave them (v.1), this had crippling affects on Israel. The same goes for us, things that happened long ago, things that we thought wouldn’t bother us, things we have done or do. Things we have hidden away because we didn’t want to deal with, or maybe because it was too painful; also secret sin – habits or acts we keep furtive that bind us to darkness.  These things cripple us, they restrict us from being the child of God we are meant to be, and just like Israel we are weakened!

The thing Joshua did though was go before God, he threw himself facedown in awe before the Lord, in sorrow and anger (v.6) but regardless he sought God in that situation. And what did God do? He reveals the problem to Joshua (.10) and tells Joshua why Israel can’t stand against their enemies (v.12). Notice that God doesn’t give Joshua a vague answer but makes him aware of the exact problem (tribe to clan to family to person). Then God orders Israel to purify themselves of their sin and God strengthens them again.

Like Joshua and Israel, you need to go before the Lord and allow Him to search you – let His Holy Spirit open your eyes to the sin or hurt that is crippling you. Have faith because God will reveal things to you and prompt you about certain things that are spiritually disabling you. Then like Israel, give it over to the Lord and purify yourself of it – God is more than powerful enough! No matter the struggle or hurt, Jesus forgives us and heals us. He lifts us up again and helps us in our area of need.

Some things may take time and open old wounds, but the Lord wants to heal you and bring you freedom from those disabilities. Go to our heavenly Father and know that He loves you and wants you to be the amazing person He made you to be, free of the evil and corruption of this world.

Romans8:39, “There is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Be comforted by how powerful Jesus is and that nothing can ever keep you from Him! Know that God WILL forgive, heal and restore you – give it over to Him and leave it with Him.

2 comments:

  1. Well done a good read.

    Sometimes we can be like peter and follow from afar. But God in His grace is amazing. he is faithful when we are faithless.

    Bless you mate.

    Moray

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  2. Just what I needed to read this morning. Thanks!

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