1 Samuel 27-31

March 31

1 Samuel 27-31

God is a forgiving God, but there are consequences for our actions. Saul had rejected God so God told him He would give someone else the kingdom. Saul rejected God, so God no longer spoke to Saul. After Samuel died, Saul had no one to consult concerning God’s directions for the nation of Israel. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritualists from the land. When the Philistines began to gather together, Saul became nervous. He inquired of God, but God did not respond. Saul then sought out a medium to inquire of Samuel beyond the grave.

Through the medium Saul spoke to someone he thought was Samuel. It may have been a demon or an angel, or God may have allowed Saul to speak to Samuel, we cannot know for sure. But the message to Saul was that God had in fact turned away from Saul because he had turned away from God and had done what he wanted instead of what God instructed. Samuel delivered the news that Saul and the Israelites would be defeated by the Philistines, and that Saul and his sons would join Samuel in the land of the dead the next day.

David on the other hand went home to find the Amalekites had raided his home and taken all the women and children along with their possessions.  The men turned against David, but instead of defending himself, he went to the Lord. God gave David strength and when David inquired of God, God told him to pursue the Amalekites and he would succeed in rescuing those taken captive.

David maintained a relationship with God and God answered David and gave him success. Saul had sought his own way earlier in his reign and God allowed him to have it his way. But Saul’s way led to destruction. Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle; in fact Saul killed himself after being mortally wounded. Saul’s family lost the reign over Israel. David was about to become king.

When we seek God with all our hearts, we will find Him. When we need wisdom and ask God, He will give it to us. When we turn from God, He lets us go, but we will face the consequences for our sin. We all have a choice, we can live and die like Saul, or we can live like David when he was walking with God.

1 Samuel 25-26

March 30

1 Samuel  25-26

David had protected Nabal’s flocks while and his shepherds when they were in the area where David and his men were hiding out. In return, when it came time to shear the sheep, David sent a request that Nabal give them some provisions. Nabal was very wealthy, but he was also stingy. He sent David’s men away empty handed. David was livid. He and his men strapped on their swords and worked their way toward Nabal.

One of Nabal’s servants went to Nabal’s wife, Abigail to appeal for David and his men and to protect Nabal’s family. Abigail met David and gave him provisions and told David that her husband was a fool. David realized that his temper almost cause him to kill a man out of anger.

The Apostle Paul wrote;"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord." (Romans 12:19, NIV)  Hot heads make bad decisions. Seeking revenge tends to escalate the problems instead of solving them. If we really trust God, we can trust Him to repay what needs to be repaid.

David took the provisions Abigail offered him and his men and went away without seeking revenge on Nabal. When Abigail told her husband what she had done to protect him and his family, his heart failed him and he died around ten days later. Nabal suffered the consequences of rejecting God’s servant.

Sometimes we just have to wait and allow God to work out the situations in our lives. Sometimes we just need to step back until our heads cool off a little. If vengeance is needed, allow God to take care of it. Can you let go enough to allow God to handle your problems with others?

1 Samuel 22-24

March 29

1 Samuel 22-24

Two men with two different focuses on life. Saul is focused on himself. Notice these words of Saul; "Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.”" (1 Samuel 22:8, NIV) Do you sense a pity party coming on? Saul does not trust anyone because he thinks everyone is against him. He has the priests killed because he thinks they are conspiring with David against him.

David on the other hand inquires of the Lord every time he makes a decision. If he is not sure he inquires of the Lord again. If the situation changes he inquires of the Lord again. Jonathan, Saul’s son, went to David not to conspire against his father, but to help David find strength in the Lord. Because of David’s trust in God and total dependence on Him, he was able to avoid the traps men tried to set for him. He was able to avoid Saul’s men who were sent to kill him. When Saul’s men got too close, God created a diversion.

David was so focused on his relationship with God, he felt guilty for cutting off the corner of Saul’s robe, when he could have killed him. David knew that God had anointed Saul as king and David did not feel he was worthy to lift his hand against anyone God had anointed. Saul realized that David was a man who followed God with all his heart. Saul repented of his actions and asked David to bless his descendents because he knew David would one day sit on his throne.

When we walk in righteousness, God walks with us. We will still face battles. We will still face enemies. But God will be with us. He will protect us. He will declare us righteous as we walk in obedience to the one who died for us, Jesus Christ.

1 Samuel 19-21

March 28

1 Samuel 19-21

Jealousy is a terrible disease. It eats at the heart of a man or woman like a cancer that cannot be controlled. Jealousy overwhelmed Saul until his only focus in life was to get rid of David. David had done nothing against Saul; he had merely walked in obedience to God. He allowed God to use him when Goliath was defying the Israelite army led by King Saul. Saul could have stepped up and fought Goliath. Saul could have been the man used of God to defeat the Philistines, but Saul’s faith was not great enough to overcome his fear. Now every time Saul looked at David, he not only saw the giant slayer, he was also reminded of his own weakness.

Saul’s son, Jonathan, was David’s best friend. He protected David from his father, even though he knew David would take his place on the throne over Israel. Saul’s daughter Michal was David’s wife and protected him when Saul sent men to kill him. David ran to Samuel and while with Samuel, the Holy Spirit protected David as he came upon two units of Saul’s men and then came upon Saul himself.

David ended up running from Saul. He left the palace and lived a life as a fugitive, but God was with him. God protected David and prepared him to become king. Saul’s jealousy destroyed his life and his reign as king. Saul lost his focus. Though David was on the run, he continued to trust God to provide for him and he watched God work in amazing ways.

One of the Ten Commandments is do not envy. Envy comes when we want what someone else has. God has given us each different gifts. If we spend all our time looking at the gifts of others and wishing they were our gifts, we waste the gift God has given us.

Seek the gifts God has given you. Develop and use the gifts God has given you. Do not worry about what others have, trust God to bless you as you serve Him. Don’t allow jealousy to destroy your life.

1 Samuel 17-18

March 27

1 Samuel 17-18

The story of David and Goliath is one of the best known stories in the bible. We hear sportscasters speak David and Goliath when two mismatched teams face each other and the underdog pulls out an unlikely victory. David was a young man; he was the youngest of eight boys. He was an afterthought. His father, Jesse did not even think to have him come in from the fields when Samuel showed up to anoint one of his sons as the next king.

David’s brothers saw him as their kid brother who had no business being at the Israelite camp. I can hear David when confronted by his brothers, he sounds like the youngest son; "“Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?”" (1 Samuel 17:29, NIV)  Saul told David; “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.”" (1 Samuel 17:33, NIV) David realized that he could not imitate Saul and wear his armor. Goliath saw David as a little boy fighting out of his league.

In the eyes of men, David was powerless. David did not focus on what men saw in him. He knew his God was powerful enough to take care of the giants in his life. God had delivered him from bears and lions when he was tending sheep and David knew God would deliver him when he faced Goliath. David did not need the tools others used; he only needed the tools God had given him; a sling and a few stones from the creek bed.

Goliath came with man made weapons, but David came in the name of the Lord.  He proclaimed to the Philistines; "it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”" (1 Samuel 17:47, NIV) God took care of David and the giant and his army fell. David did not focus on the size of the giant like the rest of the Israelite army did; he focused on the size of his God.

We all face challenges in life. Some are huge, some are seemingly small. No matter the size of our problem, our God is bigger. Like the Veggie Tales song says; “God is bigger than the boogie man. He’s bigger than Godzilla and the monsters on TV. Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man, and he's watching out for you and me.”

No matter your giant, God is bigger. Don’t let people tell you you are too small for the job. Trust God.

1 Samuel 15-16

March 26

1 Samuel 15-16

"But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22, NIV)

You have probably heard the saying; “it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.” That does not fit God’s plan for us. God is a god of forgiveness, but what He wants for us is obedience. We do not always understand God’s instructions. God instructed Saul to wipe out the Amalekites and to leave nothing living. We have a hard time with these instructions, but God was using the Israelites to punish the Amalekites for their disobedience. It sounds gruesome and inhumane, but the world was different then. We do not have to understand to see the point of the story.

Saul went in and wiped them out as God instructed him, but he kept the best of the sheep, cattle, fat calves, and lambs. He kept what was good for himself. When Samuel showed up, Saul claimed to have done as God had instructed him, but Samuel knew differently. Saul claimed that he was saving the best to sacrifice to God. But that is not what God asked him to do.

God is not looking for us to make all kinds of sacrifices for Him. He does not ask us to self mutilate, or to take a vow of poverty, or a vow of silence or other means of sacrificing. What He asks of us is obedience. He wants us to walk in obedience to His direction for our lives, because that is what is best for us. He wants us to walk in obedience as He empowers us to live by the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

God wants obedience which is far better than any sacrifice we can bring Him. 

1 Samuel 12-14

March 25

1 Samuel 12-14

The Israelites came to Samuel after they realized their sin. They realized that by begging God to give them a king, they had rejected God as king. This sin was a part of a long line of sin. Israel had a habit of rebelling against God then running to Him when they got in trouble. But this time, the people came to Samuel and asked Samuel to pray for them. They wanted help.

Samuel told them not to be afraid but to serve God with all their heart. That is God’s desire. God wants us to turn to Him and to serve Him. Not out of obligation, but because of our love relationship with Him. Samuel does not tell them that they can continue to live as they have been and God will wink at it and ignore their rebellion. He tells them that if they persist in their sin, they will be wiped out.

Samuel advises Israel to turn back to God and to continue to serve Him. Not to turn away to the false gods, but to serve God alone. Then Samuel says; "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right." (1 Samuel 12:23, NIV)  Have you ever considered it a sin not to pray for someone? These are rebellious people who have rejected God. They have served the idols of the people around them. But Samuel saw it as obedience to God for him to pray for them and for their restoration as the people of God.

Are there people you need to be praying for today? Are there people who have rejected God and who need to know God has forgiven them to restore their relationship with God who need you to pray for them today and to teach them what is good and right? Perhaps God wants to use you as a Samuel today; do not sin against the Lord by failing to pray for someone today. 

1 Samuel 8-11

March 24

1 Samuel 8-11

Israel did not like being different. They wanted to fit in with the other nations. They had rejected God and rebelled against him ever since He delivered them from Egypt. Now they rejected Him as their king. They were a theocracy, God was their King. He watched over them. But that was not good enough, they wanted to be like the other nations, they wanted a human king.

God gave them what they wanted. He told Samuel to anoint Saul as the first king of Israel. After he was anointed, Samuel told Saul;  "The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you." (1 Samuel 10:6-7, NIV) As long as Saul worked with God and with Samuel all was well. God blessed Saul and Israel.

In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came upon particular people for particular tasks. Since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fills believers in Jesus and He makes us into new creations. He gives each of us the power to do exceedingly more than all we can ask or imagine if we will walk in obedience to Him. Saul was the first king. There were more to follow. A few were good and obeyed God. Most were evil in God’s eyes.

Jesus came as King of Kings. He is the one we are called to follow. We will be strangers in this world if we follow Jesus, but He will deliver us from captivity and  lead us into His Kingdom. 

1 Samuel 4-7

March 23

1 Samuel 4-7

The power of God is revealed in today’s reading. God is not to be used as a good luck charm in order to defeat our enemies. He had told the Israelites that the ark was to be kept in the Holy of Holies within the tabernacle. Though it represented the presence of God, it was not to be paraded off to war to defeat the enemy. The Israelites wanted to use God, but they did not want to obey God.

God allowed the Philistines to defeat the Israelites and the ark was captured. Though God allowed the Philistines to capture the ark, He did not allow them to use it as booty either. They put it in the temple of their “god” Dagon and the statue of Dagon bowed before the ark the first night and was destroyed the second night. Each town where the ark went faced God’s wrath. The finally in desperation sent the ark back to Israel with guilt offerings of gold.

When the ark first arrived in Israel seventy men were struck down for trying to look in the ark. That town sent the ark off to another town. God is a powerful God and He is not to be played with. This whole experience brought on the death of Eli and his sons and Samuel became the prophet watching over Israel. He warned the people that if they were going to turn back to God, they had to turn back to Him completely. He is a jealous God and does not share His people with other gods. The people fasted and confessed and turned to God, who protected and provided for them.

We don’t see God striking down people the way He did in the Old Testament. Perhaps people would show Him more respect if He did. But God still expects those who are called by His name to humble themselves and to serve Him alone. He is not our good luck charm, He is our Lord and our Savior. He is looking for people who will walk in obedience to Him. Those who follow Him with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength will be blessed. 

1 Samuel 1-3

March 22

1 Samuel 1-3

Hannah wanted a child but could not seem to get pregnant. She went to God in prayer and through tears begged Him to give her a son and she would give him back to the Lord. God answered her prayer and gave her a son she named Samuel. After Samuel was weaned, Hannah fulfilled her promise and brought Samuel to the temple to be raised in the presence of God assisting the priest, Eli.

Samuel grew up serving the Lord. One night the Lord spoke to Samuel. At first Samuel thought it was Eli calling him, but eventually Eli figured out that the boy was hearing from God. He told Samuel to reply the next time he heard the voice; “speak, Lord for your servant is listening.”

When we spend time with God, we can hear Him when he speaks. We may not hear him audibly, but He will speak to our heart. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10, NIV) In the business of life, sometimes it is hard to be still enough to hear the still small voice of God when He speaks to us. Sometimes, we just don’t want to hear what He has to say. We say we want to hear from God, but do we really?

"The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word." (1 Samuel 3:21, NIV) God speaks to us in a still small voice, but He also reveals himself to us through His Word. The bible is the Word of God and if we will spend time in it each day, we will begin to hear that voice speaking to our hearts. Reading the Word also arms us so that we know the voice of God and are not deceived by impostors who are vying for our attention.

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV) 

Ruth

March 21

Ruth

Ruth is like a breath of fresh air after all the turmoil in the book of Judges. Ruth is a love story that reveals not only Ruth’s love for her mother-in-law, Naomi and Boaz’s love for Ruth, but it also gives us a glimpse of God working behind the scenes to bring redemption to a family and a nation.

Ruth who came to Bethlehem to find shelter under Yahweh’s “wing” will find her full reward from Yahweh when the man who himself voiced such a blessing spreads his “wing” over her in marriage!  Boaz has absolutely no legal obligation to Ruth whatsoever. He owes her nothing.. He’s not marrying her to obey the law because the law speaks nothing of this situation, gives no commands to Boaz. So why does he marry her? He loves her. This is a love story it is about love.

What he tells her is this. “I’m not legally obligated to do anything. Some other man is legally obligated. But I love you, and he doesn’t love you. And I want to marry you, and he may just want the land. I’ll figure it out.”

Boaz meanwhile goes to town and confronts a man who was a closer family member who would have first right of refusal on the property. If someone had to sell their land because of hard times, a family member had first right to purchase it or to buy it back into the family if it was sold to an outsider.

Naomi had no money and could not buy it back so the next of kin could buy it back and it would remain in his family since Naomi did not have any children he was the closest relative. So even on the day of Jubilee the land would go to his family. The man said he would redeem the land. Boaz told him that if he redeemed it he also should care for Naomi and Ruth and as the kinsman redeemer he should marry Ruth and have a child who would inherit the land. He said this in front of the townspeople so peer pressure kicked in.

The man said you are crazy. I can’t do that. You redeem it. Boaz announced that he was going to redeem the land, marry Ruth and have a child who would carry the name of Mahon Ruth’s dead husband so that Elimelech’s family line would continue.

A couple of interesting pieces of this story. Do you know who Boaz’s mother was? Rehab the prostitute that protected the spies in Jericho before Joshua and the Israelites marched around and the walls came tumbling down. So Boaz knew Yahweh even though is mother was from Jericho. He married Ruth a Moabite a gentile. The son of Ruth and Boaz was Obed who was the father of Jessie who was the father of King David and as you may know down through the generations this is the family line of Jesus.

God welcomes everyone into his family. Jews Gentiles, slave free rich poor. Jesus is our kinsman redeemer. We are enslaved to sin. We cannot buy ourselves out. Our only hope is our redeemer. But like Boaz, Jesus is not obligated to buy us, he is not obligated to redeem us, but he loves us and he spreads his wings over us. We cannot do anything to earn his love or to earn our redemption, we merely come to him and he will accept us because he loves us. 

Judges 20-21

March 20

Judges 20-21

Internal fighting and grief grip Israel at the end of this book filled with the ups and downs of the life of the Israelites. They had no king because God was their king. But the people rebelled against God and lived for themselves. “Everyone did as he saw fit.” The land was evil. The Israelites even fought each other. They have come a long way since the end of Joshua when the people stood in agreement. “We will serve the Lord.”

In the last chapter a man went into a town in Benjamin  called Gibeah to stay the night. Instead of offering hospitality to the guest, the men of the city wanted to take advantage of him. This event is very similar to the event that led to the destruction of Sodom an Gomorrah when the men of the city wanted to take advantage of Lot’s guests. The man kept himself save and instead the man threw his concubine out to them where they raped her and killed her. He cut her up and sent a part to each tribe as an object lesson to show how evil things had become.

Internal fighting broke out as the Israelites united against the Benjamites. Benjamin is pushed to the point of extinction. The Israelites devise a plan to get around their oath not to give their daughters to a Benjamite in marriage.

This entire section of Judges just reveals how evil and how far Israel has fallen because they have turned away from God and have decided they know what is best. They each did as they saw fit and as evil, fallen people, what they saw fit was spiraling them into  ever increasing depravity.

We like to do our own thing. We like to think we can do what we want and the only person it affects is us. But unless we keep our eyes fixed on our Lord and allow Him to set our parameters, we begin to spiral toward evil and our lives affect the lives of others. Our actions affect the actions of others. If we follow God, we bring good to our land. If we disobey God and do our own thing, evil will ripple out throughout the land. "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." (Judges 21:25, NIV) 

Judges 17-19

March 19

Judges 17-19

The verse that encompasses these chapters best is; "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." (Judges 17:6, NIV) Because everyone did as he saw fit, the people rebelled against God in every area of their lives. They had a form of worship, but they ignored God’s instructions and made God into their image.

Micah stole silver from his mother but gave it back to her when he heard her utter a curse on the person who stole it. She then gave it back to him to make an idol. Micah made a shrine with the idol and other pieces. God had said clearly; "“You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below." (Deuteronomy 5:7-8, NIV)  But the people worshiped God as they pleased.

Do we have idols? Do we claim to worship God, but at the same time hang on to things we know He wants us to get rid from our lives? There are not many people who set up shrines with idols in our society, but people still set up idols before God or mix proper worship of God with things that are unacceptable to God.

Micah then set his son up as his priest though he was not a descendent of Aaron. But a Levite wandered into the land and Micah installed him as his priest until some Danites looking for land to settle came and took the Levite and the idols for their own worship.

Israel has gotten her eyes off of God. Everyone did as he saw fit and the land was in turmoil. There was a presence of evil in the land and the people did not feel safe. God allowed them to continue down this path, but a time of judgment was going to come. When we look around out world we see the prevalence of evil. People ignore God or create Him in their own image so they can do what they want to do instead of living the way God calls us to live. God does not give us instructions on living to oppress us, but to empower us to live the lives we were created to live and to help us find true happiness.

Periodically it is good to examine our lives. It is good to ask God to reveal the places we may be getting off track. We may have brought things into our lives that have moved into a place above God. We may have begun to worship ways or things that are not pleasing to God. Periodically we need to do some spring cleaning of our souls and purge those things that do not please God.

Judges 14-16

March 18

Judges 14-16

Samson was a man used of God, but he was what we think of as a man with a lot of brawn and not much brain. Women easily deceived Samson, but men could not overpower him. It is obvious from our reading that Samson received his power from God. He was able to strike down a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey, then God refreshed him with and revived him with water in a dry place.

Delilah was Samson’s final downfall. He knew she tried to deceive him. He knew she was trying to find out the secret to his strength, but her constant nagging finally wore him down and the Philistines were able to overpower him after they shaved his head while he was asleep.

It seems odd that his power was in his hair. In reality, his power was in his obedience to God. God had instructed his mother before his birth that he was not to cut his hair. As long as he did not have his hair cut, God was his strength. When his hair was cut, it symbolized separation from God and Samson became as weak as other men.

When we walk in obedience to God, He will give us strength. We may not be asked to fight a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey, but God may ask us to do things we do not think we can accomplish. God’s desire is for us to walk in obedience to Him. Samuel told Saul;  “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice." (1 Samuel 15:22, NIV)

God wants to do amazing things in us and through us if we will just walk with Him, trust Him and obey Him. 

Where is your strength?

Judges 11-13

March 17

Judges 11-13

Though Israel continued to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, God continued to extend His grace. He brought discipline, but the discipline only went to a certain point before God would step in and save Israel. He always kept a remnant, a core group to continue to nation of Israel. There was fighting between Israel and the Philistines and there was fighting within Israel, but in the midst of all the upheaval, God showed up.

God approached a barren couple, Manoah and his wife who is not named. God appeared in a theophany, the appearance of God to a person. Often in the Old Testaments refer to God as “the angel of the Lord.” In this case when Manoah asked the angel of the Lord if he was the one who had talked to his wife and told her she would have a child, the angel answered; “I AM.” When the angel ascended in the flames of the offering into heaven, Manoah and his wife realized who it was and feared they would die because they had seen the Lord. God did not kill them and they had a son names Samson, who became Israel’s next judge and deliverer.

Why does God continue to reach out to Israel? Why does He put up with their rebellion? Why does He send someone to conquer them, and then provide someone to deliver them? It seems like a futile exercise. The cycle continues no matter what God does. But God does not give up on Israel. God does not give up on us.

God’s desire is for us to follow Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. His desire is for us to walk in obedience to Him because we love Him. John wrote; "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One." (1 John 2:1, NIV)  The goal is not to sin, not to rebel against God, not to disobey God, but if we do and we turn from our sin, He forgives us our sin and purifies us from all unrighteousness. (See 1 John 1:9).

Israel’s roller-coaster ride with God is a reminder that God is a God of grace. That is not a license to sin, but a reminder of how much God loves us. No matter where we have been or what we have done, God will forgive us if we will turn from our sin and turn to Him. Max Lucado wrote; “God loves us just the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way.” God is a God of grace who wants to give us new hearts and new minds and new lives and new opportunities if we will allow Him.

Judges 9-10

March 16

Judges 9-10

Abimelech was a wicked man. He killed his seventy brothers so he could rule over Israel. After ruling over Israel for three years, God began to stir things up for Abimelech. He went to Shechem and fought the people who supported him when he first grabbed for power. He wiped out the people and destroyed the city. Some of the people hid in the tower of Shechem, but Abimelech took brush and placed it at the base of the tower and lit it on fire and killed all the people in the tower. Abimelech liked the results of his attack on Shechem so much, he moved on to Thebez. The people of Thebez also fled to a tower, but we are told it was a strong tower.  

The writer of Proverbs wrote; "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." (Proverbs 18:10, NIV) Abimelech did not run to the Lord, he ran from the Lord. God repaid him for his wickedness. But the people who ran to the strong tower were saved. A woman in the tower dropped a millstone on Abimelech’s head which caused a fatal wound.

We cannot run from God and expect to succeed. Our sin, our rebellion will catch up to us eventually. But if we run to God for our protection, He is faithful and will protect us. God got tired of Israel’s on again off again relationship. He allowed the Philistines to conquer them. Once again Israel cried out to God, but this time He refused to listen. He told them to cry out to the gods they were serving. If they were going to serve them, let the idols save them.

God so loved Israel that He could not continue to ignore them. God loves us, He is our strong tower. God may get angry with us, but if we truly repent and turn to Him, He will hear from heaven and will save us. 

Judges 7-8

March 15

Judges 7-8

God knows the heart of men. He empowered Gideon to lead the Israelites to defeat the Midianites, but He had Gideon reduce his army to 300 men. The odds would be against the Israelites, except they had God on their side. God was with them and they defeated the entire Midianite army using trumpets, torches, and jars. Just as the Midianites were changing guard, when men would be moving through the camp to and from their posts, Gideon and his army of 300 blew their trumpets, broke the jars and the torches shone bright in the night sky. The Midianites panicked and killed each other, not knowing who was friend and who was foe.

God once again delivered Israel. The people came to Gideon desiring to make him king over them. Gideon realized that he was not to be king, but God was King over Israel. But Gideon had the people bring him an offering from the earrings his men had gotten off the Midianites and he made a gold ephod. The ephod became a stumbling block for Gideon and Israel because they began to worship the ephod.

God used Gideon, but Gideon still had to make a choice to serve God alone. Just because we serve God does not mean we are in a right relationship with God. Anything we put before God in our lives is a stumbling block. Anything that comes before our relationship with God can cause us to fall on our faces. Jesus told those He taught over and over again that those who loved Him would obey Him. God is not just looking for those who serve Him in particular circumstances, He is looking for those who love Him and walk in obedience to Him on a daily basis. 

Judges 4-6

March 14

Judges 4-6

The roller-coaster continues. Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord, He sends someone to bring correction. Israel cries out to God who hears them and responds. God does not always send the most obvious person to bring restoration. In a time when women were little more than the property of their husbands, God used Deborah to lead Israel. He used Jael to defeat Sisera the commander over the Canaanite Army. Part of Deborah’s song after their victory was; “when the people willingly offer themselves praise the Lord!”

In chapter 6 we are introduced to Gideon. Gideon was the least of the least. But when God showed up He called Gideon “mighty warrior.” God had a plan for Gideon and a plan for Israel, but he needed someone to willingly offer themselves to serve God. Gideon was reluctant. He knew he was the least of his clan which was the weakest of his tribe. But God does not look at what others look at. God saw what Gideon could be if he walked with the Lord.

God’s response to Gideon’s plea of insufficiency was; “I will be with you.” What more can we ask for than for God to go with us. Jesus said in Matthew 28:20b; “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”" (Matthew 28:20, NIV) God goes with us when we pursue His mission for our lives. It does not matter who we may be in the eyes of the world around us, God can use us.

God needs people who will willingly offer themselves to His service. That does not mean you have to move to Africa. It does not mean you have to become a pastor or a missionary. It does not mean you have to change jobs. God wants to use us where we are. Don’t worry about the “what ifs,” just trust God and remember that He will go with us to empower us to do what we could never do on our own.  

Judges 1-3

March 13

Judges 1-3

Chapter 2 verse 10 gives the basis for the problems Israel faced. "After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel." (Judges 2:10, NIV) Apparently the generation that God brought into the Promised Land stopped telling the stories about what God had done for Israel. Their children did not know the Lord because their parents had not told them about the Lord. They ended up doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and God did as He had promised, He handed them over to their enemies.

Each time He handed them over to their enemies, the Israelites realized that they needed God and cried out to Him. God would hear them and raise up a deliverer. They would rise up and defeat the enemies of Israel and restore Israel as a nation. Once the crisis was over the Israelites would turn away from God again and He would send an enemy to conquer them. This is the pattern of the book of Judges. It is easy to sit back and wonder how the Israelites could be so hard headed. Why couldn’t they see that when they served God, He blessed them, but when they turned from Him they faced discipline?

Are we any better? When a crisis comes, we are quick to cry out to God. Help me! Get me out of this mess! But when things are going well it is easy to lose focus. We forget to pray. We forget to spend time with God. We go about our business until the next crisis occurs. Then we cry out to God again. God wants a relationship with us. He does not want to be our emergency way out. He wants to be a part of our daily lives.

Judges 11-13

March 17

Judges 11-13

Though Israel continued to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, God continued to extend His grace. He brought discipline, but the discipline only went to a certain point before God would step in and save Israel. He always kept a remnant, a core group to continue to nation of Israel. There was fighting between Israel and the Philistines and there was fighting within Israel, but in the midst of all the upheaval, God showed up.

God approached a barren couple, Manoah and his wife who is not named. God appeared in a theophany, the appearance of God to a person. Often in the Old Testaments refer to God as “the angel of the Lord.” In this case when Manoah asked the angel of the Lord if he was the one who had talked to his wife and told her she would have a child, the angel answered; “I AM.” When the angel ascended in the flames of the offering into heaven, Manoah and his wife realized who it was and feared they would die because they had seen the Lord. God did not kill them and they had a son names Samson, who became Israel’s next judge and deliverer.

Why does God continue to reach out to Israel? Why does He put up with their rebellion? Why does He send someone to conquer them, and then provide someone to deliver them? It seems like a futile exercise. The cycle continues no matter what God does. But God does not give up on Israel. God does not give up on us.

God’s desire is for us to follow Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. His desire is for us to walk in obedience to Him because we love Him. John wrote; "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One." (1 John 2:1, NIV)  The goal is not to sin, not to rebel against God, not to disobey God, but if we do and we turn from our sin, He forgives us our sin and purifies us from all unrighteousness. (See 1 John 1:9).

Israel’s rollercoaster ride with God is a reminder that God is a God of grace. That is not a license to sin, but a reminder of how much God loves us. No matter where we have been or what we have done, God will forgive us if we will turn from our sin and turn to Him. Max Lucado wrote; “God loves us just the way we are, but He loves us too much to leave us that way.” God is a God of grace who wants to give us new hearts and new minds and new lives and new opportunities if we will allow Him.

Joshua 20-22

March 11

Joshua 20-22

The Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh asked to receive their inheritance from the other side of the Jordan. They made a promise that if God would allow them to settle on the east side of the Jordan, they would go and fight with their brothers until they had conquered the land promised to them. After the land was conquered, Joshua called them together and commended them for fulfilling their promise and standing by their brothers in battle. Joshua released them to return to their home.

Before they left, Joshua reminded them that God was God and they were to continue to walk in obedience to Him. He gave the two and a half tribes instructions that apply to us today. "But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”" (Joshua 22:5, NIV) When God’s people heed this advise, God blesses them, when they do not, they face God’s wrath.

We live in a world that pulls us in many directions. There are temptations and trials around every corner. Some say that those who walk with God are weak minded. Some claim God is a superstition. But those who walk with him, who obey his commands, who hold fast to Him and serve Him, experience God’s blessings and His presence in our lives. The Israelites experienced God’s blessings as He gave them victory over their adversaries.

We have the advantage of knowing what lies ahead for the Israelites. We read that when they walked in obedience to God and loved him with all their hearts and souls, He blessed them beyond measure. When they turned from him and worshipped other gods, they were defeated and faced many consequences.

Follow the Lord and walk in obedience to Him. Love Him with all your heart and soul, and you will experience God in His fullness. 

Joshua 23-34

March 12

Joshua 23-24

We all have choices we have to make. Some choices are easy, some are more difficult. Every choice we make means we decide against something else. Joshua is calling the Israelites to choose who they will serve. They have served gods that their ancestors worshiped  They have served the gods of the people in the land they conquered served. God has delivered them from slavery. He has brought them into the land He had promised their ancestor Abraham. He has provided for them and protected them, but they have not been faithful to Him.

As Joshua nears his end here on earth he challenges the Israelites to make a choice. We cannot serve God and gods. Jesus said; “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Matthew 6:24, NIV)  We cannot half way serve God. Either He is over everything or He is not really our God. God wants all of us. We try to balance between what God wants and what this world tells us is best, but God is not looking for us to balance, He wants all of us.

We have a choice to make. We can choose to serve God or we can choose to serve the gods of this world. The Israelites said they would serve God, but they could not do it. Joshua warned them; “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins." (Joshua 24:19, NIV) The people said they would serve God, but they did not. They followed the gods of the other nations because they did not fully trust God to take care of them.

We have something the Israelites did not have. God has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to live the lives He called us to live. He has given us new hearts. "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." (Ezekiel 36:25-27, NIV)

"Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”" (Joshua 24:15, NIV)

Whom have you chosen?

Joshua 16-19

March 10

Joshua 16-19

Reading through these chapters can be slow and almost painful. There are lists of names of people and cities that we do not know. But behind the names, behind the cities, behind the conquering of the land is God who is faithful and powerful. He is willing and able to fulfill His promises. In Genesis 12;  " The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing." (Genesis 12:1-2, NIV)

After all these years, God’s promise to Abraham is being fulfilled. God provides the land for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Israel was the son of Isaac, who was the promised son who arrived when Abraham and Sarah were old and beyond childbearing age. But God can be trusted.

God promised to drive out the people who occupied the land and to give the land to the Israelites. Each tribe received their inheritance. After forty years of wandering in the desert, the people went into the land they could have taken when the twelve spies first explored it. But they were afraid. It took forty years of learning. Forty years of trials. Forty years of witnessing God at work in blessing and in correcting before the Israelites were ready to receive the promise of God.

God has promised to give us territory. Are we willing to go and claim it or are we like the early Israelites and only see the giants in the land. "Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”" (Matthew 28:18-20, NIV)

We are to go and make disciples in all the nations that include our community. Jesus even tells us that he has all authority and that he will go with us. As He gives us families and communities, they could be included in the list of people and communities listed in our readings today. They may not mean much to some people, but when they are our neighbors, when they are our towns that are taken for the Kingdom of God, they are important. 

Joshua 12-15

March 9

Joshua 12-15

When Moses sent the twelve spies to check out the land back in Numbers 13, Caleb came back and told the people that they should go in and take the land God had promised them. He admitted that the cities were walled and the people were giants, but he also realized that God had promised to give them this land. Caleb realized that His God was bigger than the obstacles he faced. Caleb was forty at the time they explored the land and though he wanted to obey God, the other spies stirred up the people and they refused to go.

Caleb was forced to wander in the desert with the rest of the Israelites, but as God had promised Joshua and Caleb were the only men from that generation who entered the Promised Land. Forty-five years later, Caleb still trusts God to provide. He went to Joshua and asked him to give him the land God had promised him. At eighty five, Caleb was ready to go and claim God’s promises. At eighty five Caleb was not looking to retire, but with God’s help, to claim his inheritance. Caleb had assurance because he had spent those forty-five years between the exploration of the land and his claiming his prize by following “the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.”

God has made many promises to those who follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Do we claim them? Do we live as if we believe what the world tells us or do we live as if we believe what God tells us? Here are a few of His promises from the New Testament. Do our lives reflect our faith like Caleb’s reflected his?

"“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

"Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it." (Mark 8:34-35)

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”" (Luke 11:13)

"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”" (John 11:25-26)

" And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Romans 8:28-29)

"He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son." (Revelation 21:6-7,) 

Joshua 9-11

March 8

Joshua 9-11

God was faithful to Israel. He empowered them to win victories over more powerful adversaries. He hurled large hailstones down on the Amorites, He stopped the sun from going down for a day, He fought for Israel as He gave them the land He had promised their ancestor Abraham so many years before. God proved himself faithful.

Joshua was a great leader. He was chosen by God to lead Israel at such a time. Joshua was a man of prayer. He sought God’s guidance and God encouraged Joshua to be strong and courageous. Joshua was a man of integrity, a man of honor, but Joshua made a mistake that caused Israel to stumble.

The people of Gibeon heard about what God had done when He delivered Jericho and Ai into the hands of Joshua and his army. They heard about how the God of Israel was fighting for them. They realized that they did not stand a chance as Israel came in and took over the land God was providing them. The Gibeonites sent a delegation to Joshua seeking treaty with the Israelites. They put on old clothes, took old bread, and went to Joshua claiming to have traveled a long distance. Joshua questioned the Gibeonites about their origin and they claimed they came from a long distance. Joshua messed up when he did not inquire of the Lord.

Joshua made a peace treaty with the Gibeonites and it was ratified by Israel’s leaders. Three days later they found out that the Gibeonites were their neighbors. The Israelites were upset that they had been fooled, but they stood by their agreement. They did not kill the Gibeonites but they did make them servants. The Gibeonites realized the power of God and decided it was better to be servants of God’s people than to try to fight them.

Often we get in situations where we think we know the right answer. We know what we are doing. Some decisions are easy to make. When the major decisions come, we are quick to seek God’s counsel. But the easier decisions, we try to take care of those ourselves. Joshua’s experience reminds us that we should inquire of the Lord in all our decisions. God knows the truth of the matter. God wants what is best for us, even if it is not what we think is best.

James wrote; "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." (James 1:5-6, NIV)