Achan, Jonah, and Lot.

Sometime, when I sit, and just think, I think about which Bible character I would have been. I joke that I'll be Paul, a missionary who walked everywhere, or that I'm related to Goliath. Sometimes, I even think I'm Elijah, a man who was often alone, but never lonely because I have constant communication with God.

Well, it would be nice if I were Paul, or Elijah, but the truth is, I'm more like Goliath. I'm more like someone who is a hindrance to God's work than a help to it.

I don't think I could be classified as a single Bible character, but I really think I'm a lot like Achan, Jonah and Lot.

I knew that the Lord wanted me to come to the OGTC after graduating high school, but I was scared. I didn't think I was ready. I was afraid I wasn't a "good enough" Christian. So, instead of listening to God, I took a track scholarship, and ran from God.

Well, there's my Jonah side. Running from God when He tells me to do something. I followed myself in fear rather than God in faith.

So I went to college to run track, awesome. I thought I was Mr. Big Shot. Gonna be a college track star. Gonna break all kinds of records and be famous or something.

And in the year I spent in college, I showed my Achan side. Achan did what he was told not to do, and he suffured for it, his family, and his people all suffered as well. His sin affected more that just himself.

If you look at the people I hung out with in college, not a one of them got good grades. Not a one of them had a good track season. Not a one of them had a really good year.

If you look at my family, it was total chaos. Granted, some of that predates my birth, but still. There was a fissure, a rupture in my family.

If you look at my old church, nothing really happened. The Lord worked, but, in my eyes, it was a very unfruitful year for Cornerstone Baptist Church.

How is it that my friends, family, and people all suffered for the year I was in college? Becasue I have a strong Achan side. Not only did I suffer because I sinned against God, but those around me did as well.

And finally, I have a Lot side. Lot was a Christian, the Bible calls him "Just Lot" despite his lifestyle. I was saved at the age of 9. I went to college as a saved Christian. I was much like Lot in my time at college. I was surrounded on all sides by sin. I put myself in a position where all I could see, do or think was sin.

Oh, by the Bible talks about :Just Lot: living in sin. It says he was VEXED. He was tormented. He was tortured by the sin. And, without going into too much personal detail, my year in college was a horrible, horrible time. The longer I was there, the worse it got.

However, we know that Jonah escapes the great fish, and Lot is rescued. The Lord allowed me to survive that year in college, and has, more or less, given me a second chance. I am ashamed, looking back, at that year. I wasted time, ran, hurt those around me, and put myself in sin.

I’m slowly, but steadily, forgiving myself for that year, and purposing in my heart to follow God, no matter how scared I may be, or how dim the future is. Redeem the time.


--Pray for Spain. Pray that the Lord would raise up missionaries and native Spaniards to take the gospel to the millions of lost souls in Spain.--