Judges 6:15 - Weakness

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Judges 6:15

How do you see yourself? Are you a winner? Are you strong and confident? These are traits seen as important. To get to the top of your game/career, you have to have these qualities. These are what make the people who are the upper echelon of society. But are they important to God? God can use anyone. He can use the strong and he can use the weak. Sometimes he chooses to use the weak so his power can be seen all the more. Gideon is made a judge for the Israelites not because of his strength, but because of his weakness. He didn't even have great faith because he asks God for several signs to reassure him and possibly those around him that he, Gideon, was to lead this battle to defeat the Midianites.

Lord, Thank you for loving us and using us regardless of our strength or weakness. Please help us to listen for your calling and be open to doing your will. Amen.

Judges 4:8-9 - Mighty warrior women

Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”  “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh. Judges 4:8-9

I love the story of Deborah. Of the 12 judges God raises during this time period, only one is a woman. It is amazing to me that any women are included in this list, considering this time in history. Israel has again done evil and are in captivity. Deborah tells Barak the Lord commands him to go in to battle to rescue the Israelites. He agrees to, but only if she agrees to go. Barak must have had a great deal of confidence in Deborah and her connection to the Lord. Deborah tells him Sisera, the leader of the opposing army, will be delivered into the hands of a woman. Deborah is not talking about herself. In the heat of the battle, Sisera runs off and hides in the tent of a woman. Jael knows who he is, agrees to hide him, then when he is asleep, hammers a tent peg into his skull!

Lord, Thank you for seeing the strength and potential in each of us. Please use us in whatever way you see fit to do your will. Amen.

Judges 3:12 - Sin cycle

Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. Judges 3:12

All through the book of Judges, a pattern repeats itself. Israel does evil. God allows them to be defeated or sold into slavery. They cry out to God. God sends them a savior, a judge who rescues them and brings them back to God, They follow God while that judge is alive. Then Israel returns to evil and the cycle repeats itself again. Sins have a way of coming back around. In the case of the Israelites, this usually happened over a generation or more, but this happens to individuals within their lifecycle. Sometimes this cycle, in smaller ways, happens several times a day. To stop a sin cycle, we have to realize it is happening and consciously make a decision to make it stop.

Lord, Thank you for giving your people so many chances to repent. Please help us to realize the sin cycles happening in our lives and please make them stop. Amen. 

Jeremiah 2:25 - Addicted

Do not run until your feet are bare
     and your throat is dry.
But you said,
 ‘It’s no use!
     I love foreign gods,
     and I must go after them.’
Jeremiah 2:25

This passage made me think of addiction. The Israelites were addicted to foreign gods. They would run after them, even though they really could do nothing to help them. A few lines down from this passage in 27 and 28 it says,  "yet when they are in trouble, they say, ‘Come and save us!’ Where then are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them come if they can save you when you are in trouble!" So what is the "foreign god" in your life? It might be heroin, pain killers, alcohol, food, work, success, television, our image, or our phone? Is there is anything you run after, you love, you cannot quit and that cannot save you when you are in trouble?

Lord, Thank you for always being there for us and accepting us back even when we have put other things before you. Please help us to see the things in our lives we are addicted to and help us to get rid of these addictions. Amen.

1 John 5:3-5 - Faith vs. Obedience

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,  for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
1 John 5:3-5

So which is more important: Faith that Jesus is the Son of God or obedience to God's commands? Both are equally important. I don't think either is useful without the other. If we think of obedience to God equalling love for him, then our faith leads us to us showing our love to him through obedience.  Our faith in God and his son is what helps us to keep his commands. We are given the power to overcome the world (sin).

Lord, Thank you for giving us victory in overcoming the world. Please help us to remain faithful to you and make your commands clear to us. Amen.

1 John 4:10 - This is Love

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10

1 John 4:7-21 is all about love, God's love and our love. I think the key of the concept of love is the verse above. God loved us so much he sent his son to die for our sins. Accepting this sacrifice makes us one with God and God is love, so we have become love. Every thought, everything we do is to come through this love filter. God found a way for the sinful people he created to return to him without sin. This is love. Am I loving people? Am I showing them how to become sinless and return to God?

Lord, Thank you for loving us by sending your son to die for our sins. Please help us to show love to others by leading them to you. Amen.

1 John 3:19-20 - Doubting hearts

This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:19-20

This was a confusing passage for me. And when I come to a confusing passage I usually check with commentaries to find some clarity. Even one of the commentaries said, "A very difficult passage." I liked this summary best:

The force of 1 John 3:19-20 may be thus summed up: ‘By loving our brethren in deed and truth we come to know that we are God’s children and have His presence within us, and are enabled to meet the disquieting charges of conscience. For, if conscience condemns us, its verdict is neither infallible nor final. We may still appeal to the omniscient God, whose love implanted within us is a sign that we are not condemned and rejected by Him.’ (Link)

So, most of 1 John shows us what a Christian is like and not like. This passage assures us that even though sometimes our heart makes us think, "I am no good, I'm not worthy to be a part of God's family," the truth is that out hearts are not very reliable and God is more powerful than our heart. If we have given our lives to Christ and live like we belong to that truth, we are part of God's family regardless of the doubts of our heart.

Lord, Thank you for giving us clear instruction about how to live as your children. Please help us to overcome the doubts of our heart. Amen.

Jeremiah 1:10 - Tear down to rebuild

See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:10

Jeremiah was a prophet who predicted the fall of Jerusalem. God was preparing his people for great destruction because of their unfaithfulness. He was going to tear down so he could rebuild. This is a difficult concept and even more difficult when we are the ones being uprooted and torn down. This passage reminded me of the yard work I did yesterday. I wanted to do some planting, but before I could plant the new, I had to tear out the old. It was hard, back breaking work but weeding the flower bed had to happen before it could be replanted. The weedy, ugly area was transformed into a beautifully landscaped garden. When our lives seem to be falling apart, maybe God is allowing this to happen so that he can transform us.

Lord, Thank you for seeing the potential in us. Please help us to deal with the pain when we are going through this process of transformation. Amen.

1 John 2:17 - I want it!

 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. - 1 John 2:17

There are times when we want something. Maybe it is a new job, a new car, a drink, or a half gallon of ice cream. Whatever our desires are, we have to keep our main focus on the will of God. In the end, none of those things we want really matter. They may be good things, and it is ok to want and get them as long as it is not at the expense of the will of God. When the pursuit of these things cause us anxiety and to make sinful choices, then we need to put God back in first place and reasses our desires.

Lord. Thank you for all of the gifts of this world. Please help us to keep you and your will as the most important thing in our lives. Amen.

Judges 2:10 - The next generation

After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Judges 2:10

While Joshua was alive, the Israelites followed the Lord. Verse 7 states, "The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel." But what about the next generation? Why were they not faithful? Why didn't they know the Lord? As a Christian, it is my responsibility to not only remain faithful and bring glory to God, but also to teach the next generation about the Lord and what he has done for me.

Lord, Thank you for giving us salvation through Jesus blood. Please help us to share our faith with our children and the children around us. Amen.

Judges 1:1 - Ask The Lord

After the death of Joshsua, the Israelites asked the Lord, "Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?" Judges 1:1

In a class on the Judges, it was pointed out that this is the ony time in this book where the Israelites asked for the guidance of the Lord. Judah is the answer, but Judah asks another tribe to go into battle with them, so even this is not fully followed. How often do we ask for the guidance of God? I often praise him, thank him, and make requests, but rarely do I ask for specific guidance. Which should I do first? When should I do this? Who can help me with this? I think God will find a way to communicate to us if we ask for ears to hear and eyes to see his answer.

Lord, Thank you for allowing us to come to you for guidance. Please help us to think first of asking you when we are making decisions. Amen

1 John 2:9 - We are family

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister[a] is still in the darkness.
1 John 2:9

Footnotes: 1 John 2:9 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in verse 11; and in 3:15, 17; 4:20; 5:16.

In general, I don't think we should hate anyone, but this passage stresses the importance of not hating our brothers and sisters. This is stressed several times in the book of 1 John. So, who are our brothers and sisters? In the footnote above, it refers to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family. As Christians, we have a responsibility to each other. We are a family. We may disagree, even on points of doctrine, but we must want the best for each other and pray for each other. We are linked by the most fundamental of beliefs: God is real and he sent his son to die for our sins. This core belief supersedes all other aspects of our human existence. If we can not love each other, how can we love non-believers and share God's love with them? And why would they want to be a part of a family who can not exist in harmony?

Lord, Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your family. Please help us to love each other. Amen.

1 John 1:9 - Forgiveness

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Did you know you are a sinner? I am a sinner too. We are all sinners. Even if there are aspects of our lives we think are ok, they may be sinful. In the Old Testament, men often had multiple wives. There is no indication they considered this sin, but today we generally see this as wrong and sinful. Sin is always sin, but to the one engaged in it, it may not always be clear. Sometimes it is just the norm of the day. Thankfully, if we admit we are sinful and allow Christ to forgive us, we are forgiven of all of our sins, even the ones we do not know we are committing.

Lord, Thank you for sending your son to die on the cross so that we may be forgiven. Please help us to admit to our sin and grow to sin less each day. Amen.

Matthew 14:31-Why did you doubt?

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Matthew 14:31

Sometimes we step out in faith, but then we doubt. Why? In Peter's case in the passage above, he sees the wind. What sort of wind disrupts our faithwalk? Maybe we commit to teaching a bible class, but we find ourselves uninspired. Maybe we are trying to stop an addictive behavior, but as quickly as we say we won't do it, we do. Maybe we strike out on a new career path we feel called to, but it's not what we dreamed it would be. If we think about what can make us doubt ahead of time, maybe we can build our faith to help prevent sinking into the waves. We can keep our head up, eyes on Jesus, and step boldly. 

Lord, Thank you for allowing us to step out in faith. Please help us to prepare for the wind and remain faithful. Amen.

Ephesians 3:20 - Imagine

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,    Ephesians 3:20

December 12, 2017

That is the date of my last entry. Honestly, it is not as long ago as I thought it was. My full time job began to really take it's toll and I abandoned my morning Bible Study. Life has taken another turn and I am back. Praise God!!

Even while I was not blogging, the Lord has been using this blog. Here are the stats for last month.

I have always wanted to be a missionary outside of the United States, and this blog has had reach far beyond what I could have ever imagined.

Thank you God!