Day 5 — Hidden in the Tent

“But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.”

— Numbers 32:23 (BSB)

After God’s people crossed into the Promised Land, God gave them an amazing victory at the city of Jericho. The walls fell down! But God had given one important instruction: none of the treasure from Jericho was to be kept. It was set apart for God.

A soldier named Achan saw something he wanted. Later, he admitted what happened: “When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold… I coveted them and took them.”

Achan hid the treasure in the ground under his tent. Nobody saw him do it. He probably thought he’d gotten away with it.

But soon after, Israel lost a battle they should have easily won. Something was wrong. God revealed to Joshua that someone had disobeyed. And one by one, the tribes, then the families, then the men came forward, until Achan was found out. The treasure was dug up from under his tent, and Achan faced serious consequences. (You can read the whole story in Joshua 7.)

Many years earlier, Moses had told God’s people: “be assured that your sin will find you out.”

Hidden sin has a way of coming out. Sometimes it’s found quickly. Sometimes it takes a long time. But things you hide usually don’t stay hidden forever. And even if no one else ever finds out, God always knows, and hidden sin weighs on your heart.

Have you ever hidden something? A broken item you didn’t tell anyone about? A lie you told? Something you took? Something you looked at? The longer you hide it, the heavier it gets, and the worse it usually is when it comes out.

But here’s the good news: you don’t have to wait to be found out. You can bring it out yourself. You can confess to God, and He will forgive you. You can tell your parents or the person you hurt, and make it right. When you bring hidden things into the light, the weight lifts.

A faithful man doesn’t hide things under his tent.

Think about it: Why do you think people try to hide what they’ve done wrong? What happens when they do?

Try this: If you’re hiding something, don’t wait to be found out. Confess it to God today, and tell the person you need to tell.

Dear God, I don’t want to hide things like Achan did. Help me bring my wrongs into the light, confess them to You and make them right. Thank You that You forgive me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.