Judges 13-15

Again, the Israelites are doing "evil in the eyes of the Lord," and so they are ruled by the Philistines for forty years.  Meanwhile, we meet Samson, another one of God's heroes, in Judges 13-15.  God uses Samson's short and rocky marriage as part of His plan to rescue the Israelites from the Philistines.  Along the way, we learn more and more about how God works in our lives.

Unlike, Gideon and Jephthah (unlikely heroes), Samson is an expected, likely hero.  His conception and birth are a Holy experience.  His parents know that God is going to use him in a big way from the very beginning when they encounter the angel of the Lord.

Samson is dedicated to God, for God's work.  Without realizing it, I had unspoken expectations in my head for Samson.  The stakes are high.  And then, I began reading his story.  

Now, I don't know about you, but I found myself wondering what in the world Samson is doing.  His story just doesn't make sense to me at first.  He seems to rush into a marriage that is doomed.  It feels like a mistake on my end, but then I realize that God is using this unlikely marriage as an avenue for His mighty purpose.  

Take a look at how God uses this messy situation... 

3 His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people?Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?”

But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” 4 (His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)

Judges 14:3-4

6 The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down and talked with the woman, and he liked her...

Judges 14:6-7

19 Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger,he returned to his father’s home. 20 And Samson’s wife was given to one of his companions who had attended him at the feast.

Judges 14:19-20

14 As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands. 15 Finding a fresh jawbone of a donkey, he grabbed it and struck down a thousand men.

Judges 15:14

After all this, God revives Samson with His water.  Sampson ends up leading Israel for twenty years.  Who would have thought?

It becomes clear that what seems like a disaster to me is all part of something much bigger for God.  Not only does God use unlikely heroes, He also uses unlikely situations.  

We'll never know how God is going to use us or the circumstances in which we find ourselves.  But, we can be sure that God fills us with His Spirit, like he does for Samson, to put us in the right places at the right times for His wonderful and loving purposes. 

What unlikely situation or circumstance might God be using in your life? 

 A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for using messy situations in my life for Your glory.  Help me to lean into Your Spirit that is within me, guiding me.

Fill me, Lord, with Your living water so that I am renewed and strengthened in Christ each day.

In the name of Your Son, Jesus, I pray,

Amen

May the Lord bless you and keep you,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Judges 10-12

The poor Israelites.  They just can't seem to get things right with God in Judges 10-12, and it's not because He hasn't tried to help them.  Following Abimelek's murderous reign, the Israelites continued making a mess of their lives by serving other Gods.  The Israelites on the east side of the Jordan are oppressed by the Ammonites, and God sends Jephthah, the only surviving son of Gideon, to rescue them.  He leads Israel six years followed by guys named Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon.  

Jephthah is another one of God's unlikely heroes.  He's not perfect.  His mother was a prostitute; and following the murdering spree in his hometown by his half-brother, he is forced to hang out with a bunch of scoundrels.  Jephthah is faithful to his word.  But unfortunately, his carelessness with words leads to his daughter's death.

None of this stops God from using Jephthah.  God makes him a successful, mighty warrior among His people, just like Gideon.

Did you catch what the Israelites had to do in today's reading to realize the fullness of God's blessings in their lives?

15 But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.” 16 Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer. 

Judges 10:15-16

God wants us to find the joy He offers us.  We find that when we decide to let go of all that separates us from Him.  God's peace is found in serving Him.

What does that mean for your life?

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for making unlikely heroes into mighty warriors with Your redeeming grace.  I want to be a mighty warrior for You.

I thank You that, in Christ, my weaknesses are transformed to strength.  

In the name of Your Son, Jesus, I pray,

Amen

Grace and peace,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Everyday Reading Project: Week of March 16-22

I would love for you to jump in and join me in reading!  For more on this Everyday Reading Project click here.

Judges 7-9

We finish reading about Gideon, God's hero, in Judges 7-9.  The Israelites are in bad shape.  They have lost their focus on God, their true Savior, and Gideon rises to the occasion when God calls him to rescue His people from the Midianites.  Gideon isn't a perfect leader, but he grows in faith, saves the Israelites, and learns to trust God, step by step.  Unfortunately after enjoying a time of peace, the Israelites revert back to their unfaithful ways and the cycle of self-destruction begins again with Abimelek, one of Gideon's sons.  

Gideon is one of God's many unlikely heroes from the Bible.  The odds aren't in his favor.  And the more I get to know God, the more I recognize this as an integral and defining part of God's grace and redemptive plan for His people.  

We relate to people when they allow us to see and connect to their "humanness," especially their weaknesses.

Gideon reminds me that when we align our will with God's will for our lives, nothing can stop us.  He blesses us with divine confidence, a confidence that is strong despite the odds against us.  

In fact, God loves to show us His presence and power when the odds are stacked against us.  Look at what he does to Gideon's army...

2 The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’

Judges 7:2 

By sending home over half of Gideon's men, God proves a point He really wants us to remember.

With only 300 men, Gideon defeats a militia too huge to count.

God wants us to know the real source of our strength.  It's not numbers or circumstances.  It's God Himself.

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for using ordinary people to do extraordinary things in Your kingdom.  Thank You for the example I have in Gideon.

Help me to find and trust the strength I have in Your Son and my Savior, Jesus.  Use me, please Lord, for Your glory, and give me divine confidence.

In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit I pray,

Amen

Peace,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Judges 4-6

We meet a few more heroes today in Judges 4-6.  God is using individuals to save His people, both physically and spiritually.  

We meet Deborah, a woman who leads Israel in breaking free from Jabin, king of Canaan.  She makes it a point of focus to renew the Israelites' faith in God as well, and they enjoy 40 years of peace.  

March on, my soul; be strong!

“So may all your enemies perish, Lord!

    But may all who love you be like the sun

    when it rises in its strength.”

Judges 5:21, 5:31

And following this long period of peace, the Israelites stray from God's path, again.  Midian impoverishes God's people, oppressing them for seven years, and they cry out to God.  God uses Gideon to save His people this time around.

Gideon reminds me of Moses with His "burning bush moment."  An angel of the Lord shows up under an oak tree where Gideon has been forced to thresh wheat in a winepress in order to keep it from the Midianites.

12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

Judges 6:12-14  

Gideon has a hard time believing that God is calling him to action.  He questions who God is and God's presence because of his own terrible circumstances.

Gideon demonstrates our universal tendency to see all the pain and suffering around us and ask, "why?"   

God answers Gideon, and God answers us.

God doesn't want us to suffer, but He does want us to turn to Him and trust Him so He can use us.  Suffering is sometimes the only thing that will bring us to our knees. 

Our faith makes us exponentially strong.  In Christ, our Savior, by our faith, we become "mighty warriors" to face whatever life brings.

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for knowing me, for seeing my weaknesses, and for making me strong through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior.  

Here all my questions, Lord.  I give them to You, and pray You will use them to strengthen my faith and determination to follow You.  

I know Your ways are perfect.  My faith and trust are in You.  I pray for You to be with me as I deal with ____________________ in my life.  I am handing the situation to You, and I pray for Your will to be done.  

You are my rock and my redeemer.

In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit I pray,

Amen

Grace and peace,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Judges 1-3

We begin reading the book of Judges (1-3) today.  It covers about 325 years following Joshua's death.  A good hero is hard to come by in these days.  Israel is stubborn and fails to completely get rid of the enemies still living in the land God has given them.  This leads to lots of trouble and a really bad cycle.  The Israelites are influenced by those among them who don't worship God.  They are lead astray and distracted.   Again and again, they suffer the consequences, as God said they would.  They turn back to God in their desperation.  And in His faithfulness and loving kindness, God raises up some faithful "judges" or leaders here and there to rescue His people and restore their faith so that things will go well with them. 

Israel is made up of a new generation, and God uses other nations to test His people.  During the times when Israel is faithful to God, things are good.  When Israel turns away from God's will, things become terrible.

God uses individuals, "judges," to save His people.  Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar all temporarily deliver the Israelites from the trouble in which they find themselves.  

The Israelites just can't seem to break the cycle, and they can't seem to keep the connection between their own faithfulness and the good times.  God is always in control, but it's their own faith that serves as their biggest problem.

We see the way to break the cycle reflected in Proverbs 3.

Wisdom Bestows Well-Being

3 

My son, do not forget my teaching,

    but keep my commands in your heart,

2 

for they will prolong your life many years

    and bring you peace and prosperity.

3 

Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

    bind them around your neck,

    write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 

Then you will win favor and a good name

    in the sight of God and man.

5 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

6 

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.[a]

7 

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

    fear the Lord and shun evil.

8 

This will bring health to your body

    and nourishment to your bones.

9 

Honor the Lord with your wealth,

    with the firstfruits of all your crops;

10 

then your barns will be filled to overflowing,

    and your vats will brim over with new wine.

11 

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,

    and do not resent his rebuke,

12 

because the Lord disciplines those he loves,

    as a father the son he delights in.[b]

Proverbs 3:1-12

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for Your faithfulness and loving kindness.  Forgive me for all the ways I stray from Your path.  

As I face the future, Lord, help me to make all of my decisions with You in mind.  I need Your strong hand to be very outspoken and clear in the direction You want me to go next.  

I love You, Lord, with all my heart, and I am leaning on Your understanding.  I give myself to You.  I know You are the One and Only who will make my paths straight.

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

Blessings,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Joshua 22-24

We finish up the book of Joshua today as we read chapters 22-24.  Joshua commends the eastern tribes (Reubenites, Gadites, and half tribe of Manasseh) for a job well done and sends them home to the other side of the Jordan.  They make a memorial to God as a symbol of unity between the western and eastern tribes.  Joshua is 110 years old, but before he and Eleazar die, Joshua calls the entire community together to help them remember God's promises across generations, His wonderful works, and their responsibility in following Him.  

There is hope and encouragement in Joshua's words that lives on in our lives today.  He says,

10 One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. 11 So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

Joshua 23:10-11

Joshua wants us to pause and think about all the things God has done for us.  He wants us to find strength in the fact that God is not confined to numbers and logic.  We can do so much more with God in control of our lives.  The impossible is possible with God.  

My love for God needs to come first in my life, not my own "to-do" list.

And that brings me to one of my favorite verses in the Bible...

But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

Joshua 24:15

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

Thank You for keeping Your promises and always fighting for me.  I am so thankful for all the blessings You work in my life.  I am especially thankful today for the way You are _______________________________.

I love You, Lord, with all my heart.  Forgive me for focusing too much on things I need to get done and not enough on Your love and who I am in Christ.

Lord, please help me be a blessing to others, today and always.

In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, I pray,

Amen

Peace of Christ,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Joshua 17-21

Joshua finishes distributing the Promise Land to the twelve tribes of Israel in Joshua 17-21.  God's boundaries are well-defined and Canaan is a giant puzzle, with all the pieces fitting together to form a great nation of God's people.  Each of the eleven tribes share a portion of their land with the Levites, giving them 48 towns.  They have also established several cities of refuge for those who are accused of accidental murder.  God is good for His Word, every single bit of it.

44 The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemieswithstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. 45 Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

Joshua 21:44-45

God's promises for the Israelites are overwhelming and amazing all at the same time.  A light bulb started flashing in my head as I read today.  

Even though God is so good, and everything He promises comes true, the Israelites flounder in realizing the full potential of God's promises for them.

God has given the Israelites the land, hands down, no question   Yet, we see the Israelites struggle to drive out the Canaanites despite God's promise and instruction to do just that.  "They subjected the Canaanites to forced labor" instead. The battle has already been won, and there is hesitation on their part to trust and follow through completely with God's plan.  

It's as if God's promises are so good, they are unbelievable, too good to be completely true.  We know better than that, but God's people settle for less than the best God offers them.  Sound familiar?

I can't help but wonder how that will impact the Israelites' lives later on.       

And here's the thing I know about me...  I look back on my life and realize I have done the same thing!   God's promises for my life are so good.  I know God is true to His word.  I know His plan is best.  But, I make the mistake sometimes of settling for less than His best for me because it seems easier at the time, even logical.  Later, I am able to recognize that I made things a lot harder on myself than they needed to be.  

So when it comes to God and His promises...I have to keep reminding myself...

Following through, completely with God's will, is really important to our futures.  There's a reason for God's details.  We can't give up.  God wants so much more for us than we are even able to imagine, things outside our own realms of thought.

When we give our lives to God and trust His promises, things that seem too good to be true, are true.  That's the reality with God.  That is exactly what happens when His Spirit, His Hands, and His feet are at work in us.

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

I thank You for Your perfect plan for my life, and all the details You work out for Your glory.  Forgive me for the ways I give up too soon and for all the ways I fail to follow through.  I pray for the determination and wisdom to persevere for You in all that I do.

In the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit,

Amen

Blessings,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.

Joshua 14-16

Following seven years of battle, Joshua and Eleazar the priest divide up the Promise Land among the eleven tribes of Israel just as God has instructed in Joshua 14-16.  The boundaries are very specific.  The Levites, remember, take their inheritance from the Lord Himself, not the land.  God wants them to spend their time serving His people, not themselves.  Israel controls Canaan, but there is still work to do.  Each tribe is responsible for clearing out the remaining enemies in the land it has been given.  And remember Caleb, the faithful spy with Joshua who went into the Promise Land just prior to  spending 40 years in the wilderness?  Caleb's strong faith carries him, some 45 years later.

At this point, Caleb is 85 years old, and his faith is still amazing.  He knows what God promised him many years ago, and he holds on to that.  I can hear Caleb's strength and zeal for God as I read his conversation with Joshua today.

10 “Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

Joshua 14:10-12

Caleb is a real spit-fire.  Age is nothing to Caleb.  Instead of retirement plans, Caleb is ready to continue fighting for God, even against giants like the Anakites.  It's clear that his faith keeps him going.  The man depends on God, and God does not disappoint.  

Caleb follows God wholeheartedly.

When you think about it, what does following God wholeheartedly, like Caleb, mean in your life?

What promises come to mind?

It's a life-long job, following God.  It's a job that is full of promise, blessing, adventure, challenge, even struggle.  It isn't an easy job, and there's no time for retirement.  But if we will hold on to our faith, it will save us and continue to bless us.  Following God is the most rewarding job any of us will ever have.

13 I can do all things through Christ[a] who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

I thank You for pouring Your promises into my heart and into my life.  Thank You for being forever faithful to me and for sustaining me with Your grace through Christ, my Lord and Savior.

Lord, as I get older, may the days, weeks, months, and years strengthen my faith and deepen my understanding of You and Your unconditional love.  Grant me and my family, for generations to come, the discernment and the wisdom to follow You wholeheartedly.

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.



  

Everyday Reading Project: March 9-15

I would love for you to jump in and join me in reading!  For more on this Everyday Reading Project click here.