What's Buried Under Your Tent?

Today we have the opportunity to walk away from the sins that control us. Unlike Achan we can live another day to serve God out of thankfulness and love. The power of forgiveness in the believer’s life was expressed well by an anonymous author in a poem called THERE’S FORGIVENESS. “Don’t struggle alone, in fear and distress / As if there’s no hope, just your ugliness. Our Lord offers grace, not judgment deserving, / He longs for your love and your soon returning. THERE’S FORGIVENESS. It's tough cutting through the darkness of sin / Striving for answers, His favor to win. He stands with His arms outstretched and extended / To hold and restore you, just mercy intended. THERE’S FORGIVENESS. Why search other places your answers to find / To fill the vast void and touch the divine. Lay down your excuses and learn to confess / Your sins and your shame to His holiness. THERE’S FORGIVENESS. His promise is certain, “I will forgive,” / Cleansing and freedom, it's yours to live. From no other source full joy will you find. / He is your victory, your peace so sublime. THERE’S FORGIVENESS. There's no one beyond the reach of His arm / To pick up and pardon, to rescue from harm. Return to the Master of your faith’s beginning. / Give Him your all, and you'll find yourself winning. THERE’S FORGIVENESS. Yes, friends in Jesus, there is forgiveness. For whatever you and I have buried under tents of our lives there is forgiveness because Christ was punished for our sins.

As we “look under our tent” so to speak we will find sins that we try to hide from God and perhaps others. Like Achan we are led to confess them and not to hide them any longer. And today our story has a different ending than Achan’s. The punishment for our sins fell on Jesus. We are able to live a new life as he empowers us to overcome our secret sins. Amen.