Joshua 7:1, 16-21
Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD God of Israel and give praise to him. And tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me.” (v. 19)
God gets great glory when you say to him: “I was wrong; you were right.” It sounds simple, but we know in our hearts it’s about as easy as long division on your toes. We don’t like to admit we’re wrong. We don’t like to be wrong in playing trivial pursuit. We don’t like to make mistakes at work. We don’t like having to say I’m sorry.
But God gets glory when we admit our mistakes, because it demonstrates that we love God’s good name more than our own, his commands more than our convenience, his will more than the easy way out. Jeremiah 13:16 says, “Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains…” Achan admitted his fault, but it was too late for him and his family. There would be consequences for his sin.
What about you? Will you tell God your secret mistakes–your affair, your pride, your lust, your bitterness–before it is too late? Will you make amends with those you’ve hurt and get right with God or will you be like those who cursed the name of God and refused to repent and give him glory (Rev. 16:19)?
