Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year OneSample

Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump (1 Corinthians 5:6)?

Have you considered how your choices impact others?

Jericho is conquered, and comparatively small Ai is next. Joshua doesn’t know that Achan violated God’s directive concerning Jericho. Joshua informs us, “Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction” (Joshua 6:17). One man’s disobedience impacted all of Israel. “And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men” (Joshua 7:5). The consequences of this one man’s sin not only cost innocent lives but also devastated the people. Joshua continues, “Therefore the hearts of the people melted and became like water” (Joshua 7:5). Just as the unnamed Corinthian man committing incest needed to be removed (1 Corinthians 5:7), so also must Achan. Leaven is used as a symbol of sin in the 1 Corinthians 5 passage. The man in sin is identified with leaven and must be evicted.

Employment Point: Obey God’s Word, so that you don’t contaminate other lives.