Judges is a fascinating book to read. We come across a variety of interesting people that God chooses or anoints to provide help and deliverance when Israel is in trouble. As we read Judges, we discover a familiar pattern of behavior. For a time, Israel is faithful to God. Then Israel falls into sin and departs from God. God punishes Israel by sending a neighboring country against them in battle. Israel struggles and cries for help. God then hears and raises up a judge. Israel is delivered and returns to the Lord for a season. And then Israel departs again. We call this Israel’s “cycle of sin” or “cycle of apostasy.” Judges 3:9 says, “But when they cried out to the Lord, He raised up for them a deliverer.” The people often ignored the Lord until they realized they were in trouble and needed help. We can be guilty of the same practices—I know I can.
We can often identify with this pattern of behavior. We can easily fall into a cycle of sin, struggle, repentance, forgiveness, renewal and sin again. And at the first indication of struggle or suffering, we call out to the Lord for help and deliverance. One of the more interesting judges is Gideon. There were two powerful assurances offered to Gideon as he worked to serve God and His people. An angel of the LORD promised the following to Gideon, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12b). Shortly later, the LORD Himself said to Gideon, “I will be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as if they were but one man” (Judges 6:16). Twice, God assured Gideon that He was with him and would remain with him. Two assurances from God in the span of a chapter or an afternoon are powerful indeed.
We can take comfort in knowing that the Lord God is with us as well—in sorrow or celebration, certainty or confusion, day or night. God is with us in anxious times and in confident times. Psalm 56:3-4 says, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” God’s presence with His people is a recurring theme in Scripture. This reality is a faith-building certainty. Just as we use raw materials to build a house or an office, we also use raw materials to build our faith. The raw materials we use are the promises and assurances that God offers us in His Word. We can trust His promises and build with the certainties that He offers to us.
Whether we are walking with the Lord or simply struggling with where He is or even if we find ourselves in sin and rebellion, we know that we can call upon Him. He still forgives, encourages, helps, comforts and convicts. We trust that God is able to do whatever needs to be done at the moment we call upon Him. A child looks to his parents to provide exactly what is needed and when it is needed. Likewise, we look to our Father to provide for us when we are in need. If you find yourself in a cycle of victory, struggle and failure, seek the Lord today. Ask for His help to break that cycle and struggle once and for all. Victories are often won a day at a time or a step at a time. But as we walk with the Lord, we trust Him for victory just as Israel did in the days of the Judges. Have a great Tuesday!
We can often identify with this pattern of behavior. We can easily fall into a cycle of sin, struggle, repentance, forgiveness, renewal and sin again. And at the first indication of struggle or suffering, we call out to the Lord for help and deliverance. One of the more interesting judges is Gideon. There were two powerful assurances offered to Gideon as he worked to serve God and His people. An angel of the LORD promised the following to Gideon, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12b). Shortly later, the LORD Himself said to Gideon, “I will be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as if they were but one man” (Judges 6:16). Twice, God assured Gideon that He was with him and would remain with him. Two assurances from God in the span of a chapter or an afternoon are powerful indeed.
We can take comfort in knowing that the Lord God is with us as well—in sorrow or celebration, certainty or confusion, day or night. God is with us in anxious times and in confident times. Psalm 56:3-4 says, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” God’s presence with His people is a recurring theme in Scripture. This reality is a faith-building certainty. Just as we use raw materials to build a house or an office, we also use raw materials to build our faith. The raw materials we use are the promises and assurances that God offers us in His Word. We can trust His promises and build with the certainties that He offers to us.
Whether we are walking with the Lord or simply struggling with where He is or even if we find ourselves in sin and rebellion, we know that we can call upon Him. He still forgives, encourages, helps, comforts and convicts. We trust that God is able to do whatever needs to be done at the moment we call upon Him. A child looks to his parents to provide exactly what is needed and when it is needed. Likewise, we look to our Father to provide for us when we are in need. If you find yourself in a cycle of victory, struggle and failure, seek the Lord today. Ask for His help to break that cycle and struggle once and for all. Victories are often won a day at a time or a step at a time. But as we walk with the Lord, we trust Him for victory just as Israel did in the days of the Judges. Have a great Tuesday!
Posted in Books of the Bible
Tagged with sin, deliverance, help, presence, trust, provision, struggle
Tagged with sin, deliverance, help, presence, trust, provision, struggle
Recent
Archive
2022
January
January 3, 2022Tuesday, January 4, 2022Wednesday, January 5, 2022Thursday, January 6, 2022Monday, January 10, 2022Tuesday, January 11, 2022Wednesday, January 12, 2022Thursday, January 13, 2022Monday, January 17, 2022Tuesday, January 18, 2022Wednesday, January 19, 2022Thursday, January 20, 2022Monday, January 24, 2022Tuesday, January 25, 2022Wednesday, January 26, 2022Thursday, January 27, 2022Monday, January 31, 2022
February
Tuesday, February 1, 2022Wednesday, February 2, 2022Thursday, February 3, 2022Monday, February 7, 2022Tuesday, February 8, 2022Wednesday, February 9, 2022Thursday, February 10, 2022Monday, February 14, 2022Tuesday, February 15, 2022Wednesday, February 16, 2022Thursday, February 17, 2022Monday, February 21, 2022Wednesday, February 23, 2022Thursday, February 24, 2022Monday, February 28, 2022
March
Tuesday, March 1, 2022Wednesday, March 2, 2022Thursday, March 3, 2022Monday, March 7, 2022Wednesday, March 9, 2022Thursday, March 10, 2022Monday, March 14, 2022Tuesday, March 15, 2022Wednesday, March 16, 2022Monday, March 21, 2022Tuesday, March 22, 2022Wednesday, March 23, 2022Thursday, March 24, 2022Monday, March 28, 2022Tuesday, March 29, 2022Wednesday, March 30, 2022Thursday, March 31, 2022
April
Monday, April 4, 2022Tuesday, April 5, 2022Wednesday, April 6, 2022Thursday, April 7, 2022Monday, April 11, 2022Tuesday, April 12, 2022Wednesday, April 13, 2022Maundy Thursday, April 14, 2022Monday, April 18, 2022Tuesday, April 19, 2022Wednesday, April 20, 2022Monday, April 25, 2022Tuesday, April 26, 2022Wednesday, April 27, 2022Thursday, April 28, 2022
May
June
Wednesday, June 1, 2022Thursday, June 2, 2022Monday, June 6, 2022Tuesday, June 7, 2022Wednesday, June 8, 2022Thursday, June 9, 2022Monday, June 13, 2022Tuesday, June 14, 2022Wednesday, June 15, 2022Thursday, June 16, 2022Monday, June 20, 2022Tuesday, June 21, 2022Wednesday, June 22, 2022Thursday, June 23, 2022Monday, June 27, 2022Tuesday, June 28, 2022Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Categories
Tags
Acts
Communion
Cross
God's will
God
Holy Spirit
Holy Week
Jesus
Lent
Reformation
accountability
action
advent
all saints
allegory
anxiety
atonement
awe
beginning
beloved
bitterness
blessing
burden
calling
care
change
character
chistmas
choices
christian living
christmas
comfort
commitment
community
compassion
confidence
consequences
contentment
control
cost
courage
decisions
deliverance
dependence
depth
despair
determination
devotion
direction
discernment
discipleship
discouragement
disobedience
doubt
eagerness
emotion
encouragement
eternal life
eternity
evil
facing battles
faithful living
faithfulness
faith
fatigue
fear
follow
foreshadowing
forgiveness
foundation
freedom
friends
fruit of the Spirit
future
generosity
gifts
giving
glory
goodness
grace
grateful
gratitude
grit
growth
guidance
halloween
happiness
healing
heart
heaven
help
history
holiday
holiness
home
hope
humble
humility
identity
impossible
incarnation
inspiration
instruction
integrity
journey
joy
kindness
kingdom
knowing God
lament
law
leadership
lead
life
love
martin luther
maturity
memorial
memories
mercy
messiah
minor prophets
miracles
missions
mission
motives
mourning
music
nation
nativity
new year
new
obedience
obstacles
opportunity
opposition
overcoming
passion
path
patience
peace
persecution
perseverence
perspective
plan
poetry
power
praise
prayer
preparation
presence
pressure
pride
priorities
process
prodigal
progress
promise
prophecy
protection
provision
psalm
purpose
redemption
refuge
rejoice
relationship
remember
remembrance
renewal
renown
repentance
resentment
resolution
restoration
rest
return
sacrifice
sadness
salvation
sanctification
scripture
second coming
seeking God
serenity
sermon
service
sincerity
sin
solitude
sorrow
sovereignty
star
stewardship
storms
strength
struggle
stuck
success
suffering
talents
temple
testimony
thankfulness
thankful
thanksgiving
tithes
traditions
transfiguration
trials
trinity
troubles
trust
veterans
waiting
wisdom
wise men
worship
No Comments