Judges For Me... My five thoughts from Judges are 1). Compromise... The people faced decline and failure because they compromised their high spiritual purpose in many ways. They abandoned their mission to drive all the people out of the land, and they adopted the customes of the people living around them. Society offers many rewards to those who compromise their faith, wealth, acceptance, recognition, power and influence. But when God gives us a mission, it must not be polluted by a desire for approval from social groups. 2) Decay.... Israels moral downfall had its roots in the fierce independence that each tribe cherished. It led to the people doing whatever seemed right in their own eyes. There was no unity in government or in worship. Law and order broke down. Finally idol worship and man-made religion led to the complete abandoning of faith in God. We can expect things to fall apart when we value anything more highly than God. If we value our own independence more than God, we are putting an idol in our heart, and soon our life will become a temple of the god of self. We must constantly keep God first in our life and in all our desires. The Israelites had difficulty giving up their idols. 3) Defeat/Oppression..... God used evil oppressors to punish the Israelites for their sin, to bring them to the point of repentance, and to test their allegiance to Him. Rebelling against God leads to dissaster. God may use oppression to bring wandering hearts back to Him. At times Gods love is tough. 4) Repentance..... Decline, decay and defeat caused the people to cry out for help. They vowed to turn from idolatory and turn to God for mercy and deliverance. Idolatory gains a foothold in our heart when we make anything more important than God. We must identify modern idols in our heart, renounce them, and turn to God for His love and mercy. 5) Deliverance/Heroes. Because Israel repented, God raised up heroes to deliver His people from their path of sin and the oppression it brought. He used many kinds of people to accomplish this purpose. Gods love and mercy are available to all people. Anyone who is dedicated to God can be used for His service. Real heroes recognize the futility of human effort without Gods leading. God wants to make a difference in you. He wants you to be a hero for His plan in the world. To make a difference in our world, we must begin by seeking a difference in our life. Allow growth in your life so that you will be better prepared to be Gods hero. Thats Judges for me. Stay blessed.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 10:53:56 +0000