Today’s Reading: Judges 16–21

Samson judged Israel for 20 years during the time of the Philistine domination but He did not follow the laws of God. Chapter 16 tells us of a night he spent with a Philistine prostitute – a night that ended with Samson tearing down the town gate of Gaza.

Samson then fell in love with a Philistine woman named Delilah and he, THE PLAYER, began to play games with her. Over and over again, Delilah would ask Samson what the source of his strength was. He would give her a wrong answer and she would attempt to hand him over the Philistines. Even though her lack of loyalty to him was obvious, Samson enjoyed the game and so he continued to give her wrong answers. Delilah nagged and tormented Samson until he was sick to death of it (16:16) and Samson foolishly gave in to her.

“My hair has never been cut,” he confessed, “for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.” – Judges 16:17

And that is exactly what Samson became – weak and unable to save himself. The PLAYER had been PLAYED. Delilah shaved his head and the Philistines captured him. Samson thought the source of his strength was due to the presence of his hair, but his failure to acknowledge God in his life was really the reason he lost his strength. His strength was never in his hair. The Lord left Samson to suffer the consequence of his games.

In a time when so many are curious about their strengths and their giftings, it is good to be reminded that God is the source of our best attributes. We are nothing without Him. He is our Creator and has uniquely designed us for His purposes. Anything we accomplish should be attributed to God and He should be given all the glory.

When Samson realized the foolishness of his ways, he prayed to the Lord. The Philistines had gouged Samson’s eyes out, leaving him a blind servant forced to grind grain in prison. One day they brought him out as a source of entertainment and leaned him against the pillars of the temple. Samson asked God to remember him again and to give him one more opportunity to destroy Israel’s enemy. Pushing the two center pillars with the strength he now realized was from the Lord, Samson caused the temple to crash down on all the Philistine rulers, killing everyone in the temple including Samson (Judges 16:28-30).

Praise the Lord! He has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
The Lord gives his people strength. – Psalm 28:6-7-8a

Thank you, Father God, for the strength you give us each day to face what lies ahead. It is a blessing to know that you are in control and that there is nothing ahead of us that you are unaware of or unprepared for. When we begin to give ourselves credit, remind us that you are our strength and our shield. Our hearts are bursting with thanksgiving for we serve the Lord who gives his people strength!

Today’s Reading: Judges 13:24-15:20, Psalm 28

The Incredible Hulk comes to mind when I read the story of this next judge for Israel. Samson was strong like the Hulk and his biggest weakness was losing his temper. When the Hulk’s blood pressure reached a certain level, or in times of extreme anger, he turned into this strong green creature. One of the famous quotes from the television series I watched when I was a little girl was: “Mr. McGee, don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.”

This quote comes to mind as I read the story of Samson because, I must admit, I’m not a big fan of this judge of Israel. But God chose him before he was even born to be used by God to lead the people of Israel, so I have to see the good in Samson’s life, even though he comes across as more FULL OF HIMSELF than FULL OF THE SPIRIT.

When her son was born, she named him Samson. And the Lord blessed him as he grew up. And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him…His father and mother didn’t realize the Lord was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at the time. – Judges 13:24-25; 14:4

Samson might have been a little spoiled by his parents. When a young Philistine woman caught his eye, he demanded his parents get this young woman for him. When they tried to change his mind and choose an Israelite woman instead of a pagan Philistine woman, Samson demanded “Get her for me! She looks good to me” (14:3b). Samson’s SELFISH NATURE would be his downfall but God would be sure to accomplish His good through Samson’s temper tantrums and foolish behavior.

As Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah. At that moment the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion’s jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it easily as if it were a young goat….Later, when he returned to Timnah for the wedding, he turned off the path to look at the carcass of the lion. And he found that a swarm of bees had made some honey in the carcass. He scooped some of the honey into his hands and ate it along the way. – Judges 14:5-6a, 8-9a

Samson was physically strong but HE WAS A PLAYER and his own games resulted in destruction. During his wedding celebration, he created a riddle related to the honey and the lion in order to gain material wealth for himself and brag about what he believed he had accomplished with his own strength. He made a bet with the Philistine men in the wedding party, challenging them to solve his riddle. When they could not, Samson’s bride tormented and nagged him until he shared the answer with her. She in turn explained the riddle to the other men and Samson now owed them each the clothing he had hoped they would be giving him. Instead of taking the loss himself, Samson went out and killed thirty men, taking their belongings and clothing to give to the thirty men he owed a prize.

Furious with how this wedding celebration had ended, Samson went home to his parents and left his bride behind. Later he returned to collect his bride but his father-in-law had given her in marriage to the best man. In anger (more like a good old-fashioned temper tantrum), Samson tied the tails of 300 foxes together in pairs, attached lit torches to each pair, and set them loose in the Philistine grain fields, vineyards and olive groves (14:19-15:5).

When the Israelites heard of how Samson was attacking the Philistines, they asked him to stop. Samson was picking a fight they were not prepared to finish for him so, in fear, they handed him over to the Philistines. When Samson arrived at the camp, the Spirit of the Lord again came powerfully upon him. He snapped the ropes, grabbed the jawbone of a recently killed donkey and killed 1,000 Philistines with it. Then Samson cheered for himself:

“With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve piled them in heaps!
With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve killed a thousand men!” – Judges 15:16

Here is where I see Samson’s biggest problem. He thinks HE is winning the battles. He sees himself as the HERO in his stories, but he is missing who the true Hero is. He does not recognize that his battles are won when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon him. He thinks he is AVENGING himself but God is using this AVENGER to bring trouble to the Philistines, who were oppressing God’s people.

I may be the main character in my life production, but the hero of my story is God. Every victory experienced is for His glory, every battle won is to His credit. Thank you, God, for the gift of your Spirit in my life, giving me the strength to accomplish what you have called me to do. I make myself available today to be used by you.

March 9, 2019 — Our Amazing Lord

Today’s Reading: Judges 8:22-13:25

The Israelites were so excited about their MIGHTY HERO, Gideon, that they asked him to become their ruler or king. Knowing God was the true hero and king, Gideon denied their request.

After Gideon passed away, the Israelites started worshiping false gods, once again forgetting who had rescued them from all their enemies. God blessed Gideon with 70 sons and his son, Abimelech, revisited the idea of Israel wanting a ruler. To make sure none of his brothers rose to the occasion, Abimelech had all but one of his brothers killed. His youngest brother, Jothan, escaped and went into hiding. Abimelech had the opportunity to be a HERO, but his greedy pride made him into a MURDEROUS VILLAIN instead (Judges 9).

More judges came and went for the people of God – Tola judged for 23 years and Jair for the next 22 years. Again the people did evil in the eyes of the Lord and he turned them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites, who oppressed them for 18 years. Next God used Jephthah, the son of a prostitute, to rescue the people of Israel, who had cried out in misery for God to rescue them again. Jephthah was a GREAT WARRIOR (Judges 11).

Next, Ibzan from Bethlehem judged Israel for 7 years and then Elon from the tribe of Zebulun judged Israel for 10 years. Abdon son of Hillel judged Israel for 8 years and then the people of Israel again started sinning against God, so He handed them over to the Philistines for the next 40 years. Again, God’s people needed a HERO to rescue them from their troubles.

If you have ever seen the movie The Amazing Spider-man, perhaps you remember this famous quote from Peter’s Uncle Ben: “Peter? I know things have been difficult lately and I’m sorry about that. I think I know what you’re feeling. Ever since you were a little boy, you’ve been living with so many unresolved things. Well, take it from an old man. Those things send us down a road…they make us who we are. And if anyone’s destined for greatness, it’s you, son. You owe the world your gifts. You just have to figure out how to use them and know that wherever they take you, we’ll always be here. So, come on home, Peter. You’re my HERO…and I love you!”

In this fictional story, Ben Parker saw that his nephew was special – that he had a larger purpose in life. He intentionally spoke into Peter’s life, encouraging him to accept his calling and live to his full potential. In Judges 13, God reveals to a husband and wife that they are about to have a son who will be born for a special purpose.

In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant and they had no children. The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife and said, “Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son. So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.” – Judges 13:2-7

Manoah’s wife ran to him and told him all the angel had said. Manoah prayed for God to send the man of God back so he could receive more instruction about this son who was to be born. I love this portion of Scripture because it speaks to the heart of Manoah. He was so thankful that God was going to bless him with a child that he wanted to be the PERFECT FATHER to this child for whom God had a magnificent plan.

Manoah inquired of God and God faithfully responded by sending the angel back to appear to Manoah and repeat all that he had said to Manoah’s wife. Manoah responded in thanksgiving by offering to the Lord a grain offering and a burnt offering.

Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered it on a rock as a sacrifice to the Lord. And as Manoah and his wife watched, THE LORD DID AN AMAZING THING. As the flames from the altar shot up toward the sky, the angel of the Lord ascended in the fire. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell with their faces to the ground. – Judges 14:19-20

Lord, we inquire of you today – What do you want us to do in order to prepare the way for your plan? How can we be the parent you have called us to be? Father God, we long to see you do AMAZING things for you are an AMAZING God! We inquire of you and wait for you to faithfully respond. As I’ve heard Beth Moore say — Make your word a holy fascination to us and a flame leaping upward to its sacred source. Be an all-consuming fire, Oh God! We love you so much! Amen.

Today’s Reading: Judges 7-8:21, Psalm 35

WE NEVER HAVE TO ASK GOD TO REPEAT HIMSELF OR PROVE HIS FAITHFULNESS.

“…I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.” And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a bowlful of water.

Then Gideon said to God, “Please don’t be angry with me, but let me make one more request. Let me use the fleece for one more test. This time let the fleece remain dry while the ground around it is wet with dew.” So that night God did as Gideon asked. The fleece was dry in the morning but the ground was covered in dew. – Judges 6:37b-40

Our reluctant hero was battling insecurity and our gracious God indulged him by responding, just as He so generously confirms His call to us when He knows we need confirmation of His presence. Oh, what a wonderful God we serve! But God wasn’t done teaching Gideon. Gideon was asking God to show him HOW He would help Gideon rescue the Israelites. God was about to show Gideon WHO would do the rescuing.

GOD WOULD BE THE HERO OF THIS STORY.

When all the warriors gathered together, God told Gideon there were too many. If He allowed that many Israelites to go into battle, they would take the credit for the victory, boasting that they saved themselves by their own strength. So He sent home everyone who was timid or afraid and 22,000 men left, leaving an army of 10,000.

Next God told Gideon to watch how the men went down to the river to take a drink. If they cupped the water with their hands to drink, keeping their eyes up, they would be in one group; if they knelt down and placed their mouths directly in the river, they would be in the second group. This last group was sent home, leaving only 300 wise and alert warriors for Gideon to lead into battle.

God was ready for Gideon to move forward but, knowing Gideon so well, God allowed him to seek proof one more time. God told Gideon that, if he was still afraid, he could go down close to the Midianite camp and listen to their campfire conversations. Gideon took God up on the offer and came back with confidence. He split the remaining 300 men into 3 groups of 100, handing each of them a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it. They surrounded the camp and, on Gideon’s count, they blew the horns and broke the clay jars, surrounding the enemy camp with noise and fire. God caused confusion among the Midianites and they began to fight each other (7:9-22).

And Gideon saw clearly that God was still performing miracles among the Israelites, just as He had for their ancestors and just as He continues to do for us today! My thoughts go to these verses in Psalm 18:

I love you, Lord; you are my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. – Psalm 18:1-2

What mighty act is God calling you to participate in today? Do you have a “Here I come to save the day!” attitude? Or are you keeping your eyes up, watching for God to do something mighty through and around you? Are you even now laying out a fleece for God, asking Him to confirm His presence in a situation you are facing or a decision you need to make? I pray God moves today on your behalf so that you can be reminded of His protection over you and His presence as your rock, your fortress and your savior.

Today’s Reading: Judges 6

After Deborah and Barak led the Israelites to victory, there was peace in the land for forty years. Then the Israelites began doing evil in the Lord’s sight, so he handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites found themselves hiding in caves and strongholds to protect themselves from the raiders, marauders and enemy hoarders that were devastating their crops and stealing their flocks. Once the Israelites were reduced to starving, THEN they cried out to the Lord for help.

Then the angel of the Lord came and sat beneath the great tree of Ophrah…Gideon son of Joash was threshing wheat at the bottom of a winepress to hide the grain from the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” – Judges 6:11-12

HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY!!!

Well, that is what Mighty Mouse would have said but Gideon’s response was a little different. Before he stepped into this new leadership position, he wanted proof from God. When I read the dialogue between Gideon and the Lord, I am a little shocked by his bold accusations and his demand for proof from God.

“Where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? … The Lord has abandoned us…” — Judges 6:13

“If you are truly going to help me, show me a sign to prove that it is really the Lord speaking to me…” — Judges 6:17a

I find it crazy that Gideon would be so bold. Where is your display of power, God? Have you abandoned us? If you truly are faithful to keep your promises, show me a sign. I need proof; I need to feel your presence and hear your voice. When I remember the times I have argued and negotiated with God, I begin to relate a little to this not-so-mighty hero.

God did give Gideon the proof he asked for and Gideon, humbly realizing what he had demanded of the Lord, built an altar and named it Yahweh-Shalom – which means “the Lord is peace” (6:24). Now Gideon had peace in his heart that he was truly being called by God, but he still struggled with fear as demonstrated in this next situation. God told him to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and break his Asherah pole. Gideon obeyed but he did it at night because he was afraid of the other members of the family. God protected Gideon from their angry response and then something incredible happened in Gideon’s life.

Then the Spirit of the Lord took possession of Gideon. – Judges 6:34a

Now filled with the MIGHTY Spirit, Gideon blew a ram’s horn and sent messengers out, calling all of Israel’s warriors to come together to fight the Midianites. Then Gideon went back to his natural tendency and spiritual weakness – he asked God for proof that he was truly going to use Gideon to rescue Israel as God had promised He would do.

A great lesson for Gideon and a good reminder for me today is that God ALWAYS keeps His promises. There is no need for Him to repeat Himself or to prove His faithfulness. God can be trusted and I want nothing more than to blindly follow Him wherever He leads.

Today’s Reading: Judges 4:11–5:31, Psalm 24

“Very well,” she replied, “I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.” – Judges 4:9

This was Deborah’s response to Barak when he put conditions on his obedience. At first I thought Deborah was talking about herself, but as we read on we see that the battle was finished by a woman named Jael. Although Jael was not in leadership and was what we would maybe now call a stay-at-home mom or domestic engineer, God strategically positioned her to do great things. He saw worth and value in a woman whom the current culture did not value.

When Barak led the warriors into battle, God caused Sisera and his warriors to go into a panic. Sisera leaped from his chariot and escaped on foot to the home of Jael, because her husband was a friend of King Jabin. She invited him into the tent. When he asked for water, she gave him milk. When he laid down, exhausted from his flight, she covered him with a blanket while she took watch for anyone approaching.

As soon as he fell into a deep sleep, Jael took action. She saw that God had strategically positioned her and she was up for this opportunity to let God do SUPER THINGS through her. I believe God must have given Jael some extra strength as she picked up the tent peg and hammer, walked across the tent, and placed the end of the peg on Sisera’s temple. I believe God must have given her extra courage when she drove the tent peg into his skull, killing him and finishing the battle God had called the Israelites into.

So on that day Israel saw GOD DEFEAT Jabin, the Canaanite king. And from that time on Israel became stronger and stronger against King Jabin until they finally destroyed him. – Judges 4:23-24

Deborah and Barak led the people of Israel in celebration of this victory. They recognized that when God marched across the battlefield, the earth trembled; when God was present, the mountains quaked. The people of Israel were living in fear until Deborah “arose as a mother for Israel” (5:7). I love it! The description of this superhero was “mother”! My mother is definitely a superhero in my eyes so I get this connection.

The song of celebration continues:
Listen to the village musicians gathered at the watering holes.
They recount the righteous victories of the Lord and the victories of his villagers in Israel.
THEN the people of the Lord marched down to the city gates. – Judges 5:11

What a great idea! What a great example! Before entering into a battle God has called us to fight, let’s look back and remind ourselves of the many victories God has performed in the past. The God of our PAST struggles is the God of our CURRENT battles and our FUTURE victories.

Lord, we strategically position ourselves in your presence this morning. Fill us with your strength and your courage. We are ready to do what you have asked us to do. Lord, thank you for being the source of victory in our life. We trust you and we obediently follow you today. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Judges 3:31-4:10, Psalm 128

SHAMGAR, NINJA WARRIOR

So if the book of Judges can be compared to a comic book full of superhero stories, our next hero to rescue Israel is Shamgar son of Anath. We do not have much information about Shamgar except to say that he once killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad (a long sharp stick used to prod animals). Sounds like Shamgar had some mean NINJA moves! Now, that’s quite a claim to fame!

But the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight and he turned them over to King Jabin of Hazor and his commander Sisera, who ruthlessly oppressed the Israelites for 20 years. Scripture says: Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help (Judges 4:3). 20 years passed before the Israelites humbled themselves and cried out for help!

Lord, forgive me for all the times I try to handle things on my own for a while before I finally give up and ask You for help! Forgive me for delaying my recognition that I am helpless on my own. I KNOW I need you every day, in every situation!

DEBORAH, WONDER WOMAN

The next average-person-turned-superhero is Deborah – the Bible’s Wonder Woman. This is the first time we hear in Scripture of a female placed in a formal leadership position. This woman of God would sit under the Palm of Deborah and people would come to her for judgment. Obviously God had given her the gift of wisdom and trusted her with great responsibility.

Deborah must have also strategically positioned herself in God’s presence because she heard from Him. He gave her a message to give to Barak, calling him to lead a group of 10,000 warriors into battle to set the people free of their current oppression.

One thing that stands out to me about this co-hero, Barak, is that he put conditions on his obedience to God’s call on his life. He was willing to go into battle, just as God asked, but only if Deborah went with him. Does this hit close to home for anyone else?

Yes, Lord, I’ll do what you ask as long as…
I’ll obey if you…
I want to trust you, but…

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
who walk in obedience to him. – Psalm 128:1

Lord, forgive me for all the times I have put conditions on my obedience to your call. Forgive me for my selfish desire to be comfortable while following your plan. Give me the strength to always say “yes” and never “yes, as long as…”

Today’s Reading: Judges 1 – 3:30

I love superheroes! Maybe it comes from the cartoons I watched every Saturday morning growing up or from my love of Wonder Woman, but I enjoy the plot of a superhero coming in and saving the day. Therefore, when I read the book of Judges, it reminds me of a comic book of superhero stories. The people get themselves into a mess and God sends a superhero (or judge) to come in and save the day! We will spend the next week going through the book of Judges and studying how God gave some pretty ordinary people some pretty extraordinary moments!

Now these superheroes are not perfect. After all, even though Superman was “faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound,” he did have an aversion to green Kryptonite. He went from strong and powerful to pained and nauseous in the presence of this substance.

THE HEROES IN THE BOOK OF JUDGES WERE REGULAR PEOPLE WILLING TO LET GOD DO SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY WITH THEIR LIVES.

They were flawed, imperfect people with a desire to see God do something heroic. God called them into leadership and filled them with His Spirit so that He could rescue His people through them. The true Superhero in this book is God Himself and He is looking for regular people who are willing to let Him do something amazing and heroic with their lives.

When the tribes of Israel went to conquer the land and defeat the Canaanites, they did not fully obey the Lord’s command. Most of the tribes failed to drive out the people living in the land, even though God’s command was to completely destroy them. Because of their disobedience, God declared He would no longer drive out the people living there but would allow them to stay and be thorns in the sides of the Israelites and a constant temptation with their false gods (Judges 2:2-3). Their presence would be test whether they loved God enough to obey His commands.

This first generation wept at their sin but the next generation forgot about the Lord their God and did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal. In His anger, the Lord allowed raiders to come in and steal their possessions. He turned them over to their enemies (2:10-14). After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, God’s plan was to give them a peaceful and beautiful land but, because of their disobedience, they need rescued over and over again from the “villains” in their life.

GOD RAISED UP A SUPERHERO!

When the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help, the Lord raised up a rescuer [superhero] to save them…The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he became Israel’s judge. – Judges 3:9-10

First there was Caleb’s nephew, Othniel through whom God gave the Israelites victory after 8 years of suffering. Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and King Eglon of Moab controlled Israel for 18 years. When they cried out to the Lord, He gave them their second hero or judge – Ehud.

Ehud was left-handed, which came in useful when he stood before the king with the Israelites tribute. He kept his double-edged dagger hidden under his clothing, strapped to his right thigh. The king cleared the room after Ehud said he had a secret message for him. He approached the king as he reached with his left hand for the dagger and plunged it into the king’ belly. The king was so fat that the dagger disappeared. Ehud locked the doors and escaped down the latrine (3:15-23).

PERHAPS TODAY YOU WILL HAVE A SUPERHERO MOMENT.

Perhaps God is calling us to do SUPER things with His help. The trick is to remember who the real Super Hero truly is. In the moment I see myself as Wonder Woman, I forget about the Wonderful Counselor. When I believe myself to be Mighty Mouse, I forget who is the Almighty God! When I start believing I am like a Marvel Hero, I take my focus off my Marvelous Lord! There is only one Savior in this world and His name is Jesus Christ! To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Lord, we desire to do great things for you. Please help us overcome issues of pride and perfectionism, reminding us that we are nothing without you. Give us a fresh infilling of your Spirit today and prepare our hearts for whatever you would have us to do. Please give us a heart of obedience like Moses and daily reminders to be strong and courageous like Joshua. We don’t want to miss any potential superhero moments today! To you be the glory, great things you have done! Amen.

Today’s Reading: Joshua 9–24

Now that the sin was confessed and taken care of, God renewed His covenant and helped the Israelites find victory of the town of Ai, wiping out everyone and everything. In spite of this renewed covenant, the people of Israel still had a lesson to learn. They made a decision and entered into a peace treaty with the Gibeonites without consulting the Lord (9:14). Their foolishness, like that of Achan’s, reaped negative consequences.

GOD WANTS US TO INQUIRE OF HIM FOR THE SAKE OF RELATIONSHIP.

It is evident even in the Old Testament that God wants a relationship with each of us. He does not want us to live independently, but to inquire of Him – to call on Him. And He will listen! He does not want us to live in fear, but in faith. God repeats His Joshua 1:9 instructions in Joshua 10:25, just like He reminds us again today:

“Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged,” Joshua told his men. “BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS, for the Lord is going to do this…” – Joshua 10:25

When five Amorite kings united in hopes to attack Gibeon and defeat Israel, the Lord confirmed to Joshua that he would give them victory. They called on God and He listened to them.

On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies….There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the Lord answered such a prayer. Surely the Lord fought for Israel that day! – Joshua 10:12-14

NOT ONLY WILL GOD LISTEN TO US, HE WILL RESPOND.

Because God was fighting for them, the promised land of Canaan was conquered and divided between the tribes. Joshua knew the source of his victories because he had a relationship with God, the Victor. Joshua did as he was told, carefully obeying all the commands that the Lord had given Moses (11:15). He followed God wholeheartedly (14:8) and, at the end of his life, he had these words of advice for God’s people. Listen carefully for all the words that speak of RELATIONSHIP:

“Love the Lord your God, walk in his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.” – Joshua 22:5b

“Hold tight to God, your God, just as you’ve done up to now.” – Joshua 23:8, The Message

“So be very careful to love the Lord your God…Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord has come true. Not a single one has failed!” – Joshua 23:11,14

“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly…Choose today whom you will serve…But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:14-15

One of the last things Joshua told the people was to turn their hearts to the Lord, yielding to Him (24:23). Or, as The Message interprets it: Say an unqualified Yes to God!

Unqualified. Not “Yes, IF…” Not “Yes, BUT…” Not “Yes, I will PROBABLY…” Not, “Yes, I MIGHT…”

Thank you for your faithfulness and your daily presence in our lives – for this incredible RELATIONSHIP. Lord, cause our love for you to grow so that our hearts naturally desire to obey you, to trust you, to follow you. Help us to be content with what you have provided. Today we choose to serve you and you only. Today we say an unqualified YES to you!

Today’s Reading: Joshua 7-8, Psalm 78

GOD ENTERED INTO A COVENANT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL.

A covenant is a formal or serious agreement between two people or two parties. The agreement was that the people of Israel would obey God out of love for Him and He would be with them and bless them. If they chose disobedience, there would be curses instead.

After their victory at Jericho, God gave specific instructions not to take any of the things from Jericho but to destroy everything. If anyone disobeyed, it would bring trouble to the entire camp. A man named Achan saw a beautiful robe, 200 silver coins and a bar of gold weighing more than a pound. He wanted them so much that he took them (7:21). God had supplied Achan’s every need but Achan was focused more on what he wanted but did not have instead of on all God had provided.

Unaware of this hidden sin, Joshua confidently led a group of 3000 warriors to the next town, but they were defeated and lost 36 of their men. The people were so sure that God would bless them and give them victory, yet God did not work as they expected. They were paralyzed with fear at this turn of events and their courage melted away. They tore their clothes in dismay and bowed down to the ground asking God, “Why?”

How often is our faith paralyzed by fear when God does not move as we expect Him to? We long to trust God in spite of the pain and suffering we watch others go through. If we’ve learned anything from Joshua, it is to be strong and courageous. Do not be overcome by fear, but recognize God’s presence all around us.

HOLD TIGHTLY TO GOD IN ALL SITUATIONS.

When Joshua and the people came to the Lord, seeking an answer for their defeat, God revealed that the covenant relationship had been broken. God ordered that everything be eliminated that would keep them from being totally devoted to Him. Achan had kept items from the Jericho plunder, items that had been set apart for destruction. He confessed his sin saying, “I wanted them so much that I took them” (7:21).

The definition of sin itself — to know what you ought to do and then not do it (James 4:17). How often do we let our sin nature take over and do exactly what we know we should not do. As the apostle Paul described it, “And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway” (Romans 7:18-19).

Achan was found guilty and his sin not only destroyed him and the 36 warriors who died in battle, but also his entire family. His selfish decision affected those he loved most, left 36 families grieving the loss of their soldier and brought trouble to the entire camp. They placed stones over the place where Achan died for his sins and named the place the Valley of Trouble.

When we choose to do what we want to do with total disregard for God’s instructions, we find ourselves in a dark place — a place of trouble. The good news is that we serve a God who wants to restore the covenant relationship with us. He is willing to forgive us and bring us from a point of defeat to a place of grace. He pulls us from the grave of our sin and walks us through a gateway of hope. Thank you, God, for your undeserved blessings. You are so generous to us.

I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. – Hosea 2:15a