A Faithful Generation – “Deceivers in the Church” - Joshua 9:1-27 ESV
For many of us - if not most - the realization of being "duped" or deceived is one that nobody looks forward to. No one in this world enjoys that sinking feeling in their stomach when they think they are buying something authentic but it turns out to be fake. Think of how God must feel when we "pretend" to live like Jesus on Sunday but the rest of the week, we never think or speak about Him. The Bible has another name for that: hypocrite. Such behavior hurts God and should make us want to live differently. We must be honest with ourselves and repent and ask Jesus to be real with Him and others. And the glorious part about it is that He will forgive us and help us change our deceptive ways.
Reflection Questions:
If you're being honest, is there anything you do throughout the week that you would be ashamed/embarrassed of if anyone found out?
Why do you feel the need to hide it?
How could your life improve if you brought that before God, repented of it, and asked someone you trust to help you?