What's Hidden in Your Tent?

"Hey, what's the big deal, anyway? I'm not hurting anybody. It's my life, and I have the right to live it the way I want to. Why are you judging me?" Have you ever heard that kind of defense before? Well, I have heard it plenty. In fact most of us believe that many things in our lives are just nobody else's business. In America we have certainly underscored that with "rights to privacy." One of the big complaints about the Patriot Act is that it threatens our right to privacy. Supporters of the Patriot Act believe that it is necessary to limit the right to privacy in the interest of national defense in the war against terror.

In the seventh chapter of Joshua this issue comes into clear focus. Israel has just come from an awesome victory at Jericho. Now, the face a smaller challenge at a place calle Ai. In fact it is decided that all the armies need not go up against Ai, only about 3,000 men. However, the armies of Ai come out against Israel and defeat them in this first battle, killing 36 men and causing the hearts of the people to melt for fear. Joshua falls on his face before God crying out along with the elders of Israel. In Joshua 7:10-12 God answers Joshua.

The Lord answered: Stop lying there on the ground!
Get up! I said everything in Jericho belonged to me
and had to be destroyed. But the Israelites have kept
some of the things for themselves. They stole from me
and hid what they took. Then they lied about it. What
they stole was supposed to be destroyed, and now
Israel itself must be destroyed. I cannot help you
anymore until you do exactly what I have said.
That's why Israel turns and runs from its enemies
instead of standing up to them. (CEV)

The search all Israel tribe by tribe than family by family until they find a man named Achan. When he is found out Achan confesses in verses 20-22.

It's true," Achan answered. " I sinned and disobeyed
the LORD God of Israel. While we were in Jericho,
I saw a beautiful Babylonian robe, two hundred pieces
of silver, and a gold bar that weighed the same as fifty
pieces of gold. I wanted them for myself,
so I took them. I dug a hole under my tent
and hid the silver, the gold, and the robe."

Had Achan lived in our day, you could imagine his defense. "Hey, I didn't hurt anybody. The stuff was just going to be destroyed anyway. All I was doing was looking out for my future. Whay is this anybody else's business anyway. Can't a man have privacy in his own home?"
That defense would have sounded hollow in the ears of the families of 36 men who had died fleeing from Ai.

It may be that today you are hiding some secret sin, or some small compromise. You may think that it's not hurting anybody. You might even really believe that it is nobody's business but yours. The truth is that we all have a sphere of influence. Your life affects others. You are eiher having an impact for good or for evil. Even something as seemingly harmless as your online activities may be affecting someone you care about.

What is the impact of your life? Are you blessing others or are you hiding some forbidden treasure somewhere that could destroy you and others. May God bring us awesome revival as we impact others for His glory. Have a blessed day.