Judges 4:1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, now that Ehud was dead.
God knew, when the Israelites failed to drive out the Canaanites as He said, that the Israelites were still struggling with growth and maturity in their relationship with Him. So he used the Canaanites’ presence to increase the Israelites’s awareness of their need for Him. He used all things (to paraphrase Romans 8:28) for their good and His glory.
Judges 4:2 So the LORD sold them into the hands of Jabin king of Canaan….
The bottom line is that God loved the Israelites fiercely. They were His chosen people. They certainly weren’t perfect. They struggled often in their faithfulness to God. But He used even their bad decisions to draw them closer to Him.
Judges 4:3 Because he had nine hundred chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that we don’t have to be perfect to be Yours. It is so easy to beat ourselves up when we fail, so easy to throw our hands up in defeat when we once again make a mess of things. Thank You for loving us so much that You use even our messes to bring us closer to You. Amen.
Judges 4:23 On that day God subdued Jabin king of Canaan before the Israelites.
Have a blessed day.
His mercy endures…. (devo reflection)
Judges 3:7 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
I am incredibly thankful that we are under the new covenant with Christ and not the covenant of Old Testament—love God, be blessed; turn your back on God, be cursed. Thankfully, God shows repeatedly in Judges that He is merciful, and I am beyond grateful that His mercy endures through the ages and covenants.
Judges 3:8 The anger of the LORD burned against Israel so that He sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishsthaim….
If I could stay in my recliner with my bible and my Savior (and my coffee!) by my side, I would never “forget the LORD,” but when life intrudes—annoyances and struggles, conflict, boredom, all the little things that make up life—I can be just as guilty as the Israelites of forgetting. I respond from my feelings and emotions (which lie. I know.) instead of from my Creator. Praise God for His mercy when I forget.
Judges 3:9 But when they cried out to the LORD, He raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel…who saved them.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder to take care of my own reactions instead of judging others. Help me, Lord, never to forget You, never to forsake You in my thoughts, words, and actions. Help me to be loving and merciful. Draw me closer. Amen.
Judges 3:11 So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel…died.
Have a blessed day.
A legacy and a reminder…. (devo reflection)
Judges 2:7 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.
My faith is stronger because I have seen God work in my life firsthand. I know of His love, goodness, and faithfulness because I have seen them, received them. The LORD has done great things for me and for those I love. I can’t help but think this contributes to our faithfulness. I think the Israelites experienced this, too. Those who had lived through the settling of the Promised Land knew God’s role in it, contributing to their faithfulness to Him.
Judges 2:10 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.
So what happened to the new generation? Did the elders just not share stories of God’s goodness often enough? Was it a rebellious “younger generation” that had to find their own way? Could the straying of this generation have been avoided?
Judges 2:11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals.
Lord, Thank You for this day, this scripture, these questions for which I don’t have answers. Since I have seen Your presence, Your love, Your faithfulness, help me to praise Your name so that others may hear and know Your goodness. Let my stories of Your faithfulness be a legacy for others and a reminder for me. Draw us closer. Amen.
Judges 2:12 They forsook the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the people around them. They aroused the LORD’s anger….
Have a blessed day.
Doing the hard work…. (devo reflection)
Judges 1:19 The LORD was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had chariots fitted with iron.
Commentary on this verse states: “…the imperfection of their faith lay in this, as it may do in yours…that they believed one promise of God and did not believe another.“ Ouch. My toes have definitely been stepped on. God had given the entire Promised Land to the Israelites, but He required them to do the hard work of routing out the inhabitants, and yet, they are stopped here by chariots fitted with iron?!? Iron chariots are no match for the Creator of the universe.
Judges 1:20 As Moses had promised, Hebron was given to Caleb, who drove from it the three sons of Anak.
And yet, even as I want to castigate the Israelites for their willful disobedience, I see the glaring areas in my own life, times when the going got tough, when I was faced with chariots fitted with iron and forgot that the power of the Almighty, the same power that rose Jesus from the grave, lives within me. Jesus, Help me!
Judges 1:22 The Benjamites, however, did not drive out the Jebusites, who were living in Jerusalem; to this day the Jebusites live there with the Benjamites.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You are with us, that You are fighting for us, but that You still require us to put in effort and hard work. Help us not to be afraid, no matter what we are facing, because we know You are with us. Give us strength. Amen.
Judges 1:28 When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely.
Have a blessed day.
Choices…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 24:14 “Now fear the LORD and serve Him with all faithfulness….”
Serving God is a choice, and in my mind, it is a choice that must be made continually. Human beings can be selfish, but following Christ means dying to self, putting aside selfish ways and tendencies, so that we can live for Christ. It means living, as Gal 2:20 puts it, “not I, but Christ.”
Joshua 24:15a “But is serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….”
But it IS a choice. Every moment of every day I am allowed to choose for whom I live. Choosing Christ means putting aside my pride, my anger, my agenda, and living FOR Him-with Him and in Him and through Him. It is in no way a light commitment, but the rewards are eternal.
Joshua 24:15b “…But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that following You is a continual choice. Forgive me when I revert to my selfish ways. Help me to see immediately when I take my eyes off of You. Help me to correct my course and live my life for You. Always. Draw me closer. Amen.
Joshua 24:18b “…We too will serve the LORD, because He is our God.”
Have a blessed day.
Stay the course…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 23:6 “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left.”
The book of Joshua speaks of being strong and courageous many times, so it is fitting that the Israelites would be reminded here at the end of the chapter. By being strong, by being mindful of God’s laws and commands, given through Moses, the Israelites can stay the course, even if Joshua is not there to guide them.
Joshua 23:10 “One of you routs a thousand, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as He promised.”
This seems a very fitting chapter to read this last week of classes for high school seniors. In a world that changes rapidly, more change is on the way for them. But Joshua’s advice is just as timely for graduates: Be strong and courageous because God is at your center. You will encounter much that is new, different, maybe scary, but hold tight to the One that holds you securely in the palm of His hand. By doing so, you will stay the course, His course.
Joshua 23:11 “So be very careful to love the LORD your God.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this timely reminder that applies to all of us, especially those who are on the cusp of stepping out on their own. Thank You that we can be strong and courageous because You are at our core. Draw us closer. Amen.
Joshua 23:14 “…You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed….”
Have a blessed day.
With all my heart and all my soul…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 22:5a “…be very careful to keep the commandments and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you….”
The words of Joshua to the Israelites that settled on the eastern side of the Jordan as he sends them to their rest are good words for us all to live by: “…love the LORD your God, …walk in obedience to Him, …keep His commands, …hold fast to Him, and …serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Joshua 22:5b “…to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to Him….”
Notice the order: first, love. Second, obedience. I know that for me, to obey, I have to trust. Love is how that trust is established. Obedience is two-fold: obedience to what He asks of me toward myself (my personal walk) and obedience in how He asks me to relate to others (His commands).
Joshua 22:5c “…to keep His commands, to hold fast to Him….”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You have already shown me how to follow You and cling to You. Thank You for the reminder that I am to love, obey, hold fast to, and serve You, with all my heart and all my soul. Thank You for loving me deeply and fiercely. Draw me closer. Amen.
Joshua 22:5d “…and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Have a blessed day.
God’s timing is always perfect…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 21:43 So the LORD gave Israel all the land He had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there.
The Israelites have finally made it to the Promised Land. This is the culmination of a journey that started way back in Exodus 3, when God told Moses He had seen the misery of His people and was sending Moses to bring them out of captivity. I bet if anyone had asked Moses his timeline, it would have looked very different.
Joshua 21:44a The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as He had sworn to their ancestors….
But God’s timing is always perfect. “With the LORD a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” (2 Peter 3:8). I struggle with that concept a lot because my type A planner mind wants a solid timeline for how everything will unfold. God has been working with me on that one for a while.
Joshua 21:44b Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD gave all their enemies into their hands.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that Your timing is perfect and Your promises never fail. Thank You for reminding me that I can trust You and Your promises. Always. Help me to lean into that truth so that I can fully claim the inheritance You have for me. Draw me closer. Amen.
Joshua 21:45 Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.
Have a blessed day.
A place of refuge…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 20:1-2 Then the LORD said to Joshua: “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge….”
The title of chapter 20 is Cities of Refuge, and that title brings images of great peace. Google defines refuge as “a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble,” and while the chapter itself is talking about very specific refuge for unintended killing, commentary talks about Jesus as our refuge in a much broader sense.
Joshua 20:3 “…so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection….”
We all feel uncomfortable in our own skin sometimes. We all find ourselves in need of shelter, a place where we are accepted as we are, where we are loved, where we can catch our breath. Perhaps that is another way we can be the hands and feet of Jesus in this world, by being a place of refuge for others who are struggling.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder and encouragement to be a shelter, a place of refuge, in Your name. For those who are struggling, help us to show love, acceptance, and encouragement. Help us to let others know they are not alone as they catch their breath. Help us to embody Your love and grace for all who need it. Draw us closer. Amen.
Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge….
Have a blessed day.
Another way…. (devo reflection)
Joshua 19:49-50 When they had finished dividing the land into its allotted portions, the Israelites gave Joshua son of Nun an inheritance among them, as the LORD had commanded….
The words, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt 25:23) echo in this chapter for me. The Israelites have finally claimed their inheritance (though they failed to fully drive out all of the original inhabitants). Joshua has ensured the tribes have claimed their lands.
Joshua 19:50b …They gave him the town he asked for…in the hill country of Ephraim….
From the beginning, Joshua has been faithful. He doesn’t claim his own inheritance until everyone else has theirs, yet he still gets “the town he asked for…in the hill country of Ephraim.” So often on this life we feel we have to strike first and fast to get what we want, but Joshua shows us another way.
Joshua 19:50c …And he built up a town and settled there.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for Joshua’s example. When I meet You face-to-face, I want You to be able to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt 25:23). Help me to live a life that makes it possible. Draw me closer. Amen.
Joshua 19:51 …And so they finished dividing the land.
Have a blessed day.