November 15 – An Accursed Thing

Hope for Today: A Daily Devotion from Reasons for Hope*Jesus

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“There is an accursed thing in your midst, O Israel; you cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the accursed thing from among you.” Joshua 7:13

“Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4

Known sin, in all its various forms, is an accursed thing by which we are deprived of the protection of God and cannot stand before our enemies. Behold, therefore, the severity of God (Joshua 7:21-26), and be more earnest. Make all haste to flee from the lust of the world, especially from the lust of the eye, which is the love of money. Break off even the most subtle and specious bands of unrighteousness. Unless the splinters of the unjust mammon be taken out, the wound cannot be healed up.

Nay, examine yourself closely in other things, and whatever sinful lust is found in your breast, put it off and flee from it, else you must not wonder at your being so weak in spirit. He that does not resist the sinful motions of his heart will very easily give a loose to his hands and tongue. But he that immediately subdues the inward corruptions will certainly be preserved from their breaking out in sinful actions.

O Lord, deliver me from all accursed things and keep my heart always under Your closest inspection and discipline. Fill me with Yourself. Then shall I be above coveting the poor things of earth.

Why should my passions mix with earth,
And thus debase my heavenly birth?
Why should I cleave to things below,
And let my God, my Savior go?

Devotion by Karl Heinrich von Bogatzky (1690—1774)