You Think No One Knows...But They FEEL It

I want you to really think about this. Everything that you do in secret, whether good or bad, whether you realize it or not, is affecting everything about your life, and it's even affecting your loved ones. In Joshua chapter 6, we see that the Israelites experienced this incredible miracle, the fall of the walls of Jericho. And with this miracle, they're given a very clear command. Look at verse 17. Jericho and everything in it must be completely destroyed as an offering to the Lord. Only Rahab the prostitute and the others in her house will be spared, for she protected our spies. Verse 18 says, do not take any of the things set apart for destruction, or you yourselves will be completely destroyed, and you will bring trouble on the camp. of Israel. Now, if you look at the beginning of chapter 7, you'll see that a man by the name of Achan actually kept some of the goods for himself. He hides them in his tent, and then Israel, as a result, suffers defeat. Watch this. Joshua 7:4-5. So approximately 3,000 warriors were sent, but they were soundly defeated. The men of Ai chased the Israelites from the town gate, as far as the quarries, and they killed about 36 who were retreating down the slope. The Israelites were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events, and their courage melted away. Where at one point Israel had experienced the hand of God moving their enemies aside, now it seemed that the hand of God had lifted from them. And where they once experienced victory, they're now seeing defeat. This causes Joshua to take this line of questioning to the Lord. Joshua 7:7-8, then Joshua cried out, O Sovereign Lord, why did you bring us across the Jordan River if you're going to let the Amorites kill us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side. Lord, what can I say now that Israel has fled from its enemies? So then the Lord reveals to Joshua the cause of the defeat. Joshua 7:10-12. But the Lord said to Joshua, get up. Why are you lying on your face like this? Israel has sinned and broken my covenant. They have stolen some of the things that I commanded must be set apart for me, and they have not only stolen them, but have lied about it and hidden the things among their own belongings. That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies in defeat, for now Israel itself has been set apart for destruction. I will not remain with you any longer unless you destroy the things among you that were set apart for destruction. Now, God then exposes Achan. Look at the process by which he does this. Joshua 7:16-21. That hidden sin was affecting the nation long before they knew what that sin was. I want you to think about that. The ramifications of that sin. The effects of that sin, the negative outcomes and consequences of that sin were being experienced by the people of Israel before that sin was ever even exposed. And that's an important thought I want you to hold onto as we continue to read Joshua 7:16-21. Early the next morning, Joshua brought the tribes of Israel before the Lord, and the tribe of Judah was singled out. So now the Lord singles out a single tribe. Then the clans of Judah came forward, and the clan of Zerah was singled out. Then the families of Zerah came forward, and the family of Zimri was singled out. Every member of Zimri's family was brought forward person by person, and then Achan was singled out. Then Joshua said to Achan, my son, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, by telling the truth. Make your confession and tell me what you have done. Don't hide it from me. Achan replied, it's true. I've sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel. Among the plunder, I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon, 200 silver coins, and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. I wanted them so much that I took them. They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent, with the silver buried deeper. than the rest. So what happens next is tragic. Achan and his entire family are killed. And we see that in Joshua 7:24-25. But here's what we need to think about. Achan thought that his sin was hidden. He buried it deep where he thought it would never be uncovered. He thought there would be no consequence for what he had done. He thought that it wasn't going to affect anyone. The reality, it wasn't hidden. God saw it. God knew what was happening every step of the way. And the truth of the matter is, it wasn't worth it. Now, we understand that as New Testament believers, we don't hold to the idea that God punishes you directly for another person's sin. And that's true. God holds the individual accountable, not the group accountable. But that doesn't mean that your secret sin isn't causing an effect. Your secret sin is affecting the kind of spouse that you are. Your secret sin is affecting the kind of parent that you are. Your secret sin is affecting the kind of friend that you are, the kind of church member that you are. The kind of minister that you are. And God is calling today for his people to confess their sins before him. Now, thank God, we understand that all wrath was poured out upon Christ. So there's mercy for you when you repent. But don't hold on to that. Again, I call your attention back to the reality that the Israelites suffered defeat long before the sin was ever exposed. Even if no one ever finds out about that habit, even if no one ever sees that thought, that attitude, those words that you spoke in silence, maybe whispering some gossip to someone, even if no one sees that, even if that doesn't get exposed publicly or on a wide scale, it doesn't matter. It's still affecting you. It's affecting your conscience. It's affecting your confidence in your approach to God. It's affecting your belief in your identity in Christ. It's affecting everything about you. Conversely, it's also true that the good deeds that you do are also having effect. Watch out, don't do your good deeds publicly to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, And your Father who sees everything will reward you. Your secrets affect everything about you. They affect your demeanor, the way you talk, the way you come across, how you interact with your loved ones. Everything about you is affected by your secrets, whether good or bad, and whether you realize it or not. So Father, I pray That if they are in sin, you would grant them the conviction of the Holy Spirit. As we pray, I want you right now to begin to get those things right before the Lord. Talk to him about those things. Confess them before him. Don't hold on to them. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us. He is merciful. So, Lord, I pray you bring healing, Grant repentance in Jesus' name. Lord, I pray that you would cause your people to reclaim the secret place. And if they're doing well, help them to hold their ground, to continue to do well in secret. We give you the praise and the glory and the honor. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Type it in the comment section if you believe it. Type a big amen. Amen. Well, I want to invite you, if this ministry has blessed you, make sure you help support what God is doing through this ministry. Get involved today by becoming a monthly ministry partner. To do so, you can go to davidhernandezministries.com/partner. You can also give a single gift by going to davidhernandezministries.com/donate. Every gift, large or small, single or monthly, it all counts. So obey the voice of the Holy Spirit today. Now, if you enjoyed that, make sure to also check out my teaching How to spend time with the Holy Spirit every day, even when busy and overwhelmed.