Month: June 2020

Judges 14:2 When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.”
Samson seems rather impetuous, almost like Varuca Salt from Willy Wonka declaring, “I want it now!” And commentary pointed out several instances where he either directly violated his Nazirite vows (touching the carcass of the lion) or where he put himself in a position where his vows could be easily broken—in a vineyard and at the dinner (having nothing to do with grape products in any form).
Judges 14:4 (His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines….)
Even Judges 14:4, according to commentary, is God using Sampson’s rash, ungodly decision to marry the Philistine to further God’s plan. There seems to be nothing in this chapter suggesting that this man set apart for God gave any thought, prayer, or consideration to God’s will for his life. That seems incredibly strange to me.
Judges 14:5 Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him.
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder of the need to actively align ourselves with Your will. Thank You for pointing us in the right direction if we are only willing to seek Your direction and to listen to Your voice. Thank You for giving us the strength to do what You call us to, even if we don’t really want to do it. Draw us closer. Grant us Your peace and Your strength so we can do Your will. Amen.
Judges 14:6 The Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat….
Have a blessed day.

Judges 13:1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
This verse brings to mind a saying I’ve heard before. I have no idea who coined the phrase, but I first heard it in Sunday School: “We either say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ or God says to us, ‘Thy will be done.’” And while it may seem like a great idea for God to give us our way, it doesn’t turn out well for us, as the Israelites saw time and again.
Judges 13:2 A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, … had a wife who was childless, unable to give birth.
Manoah is an interesting figure. My heart goes out to him in that his wife’s infertility seems to have shaken his faith. Even though his wife takes the angel of the LORD at his word, Manoah seems to need additional reassurance, which I completely understand. And while at face value it seems a completely different struggle than the Israelites were facing in verse 1, it is still a struggle accepting and following God’s will.
Judges 13:22 “We are doomed to die!” he said to his wife. “We have seen God!”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that there are many ways one can struggle to follow Your will. Help us seek, always, Your will and not our own. Help us, even when we are afraid to believe the goodness You are giving us, to be bold for You and in You. Always. Draw us closer. Amen.
Judges 13:23 But the wife answered, “If the LORD had meant to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or told us this.”
Have a blessed day.

Judges 10:6a Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines….
Just yesterday I overheard a conversation about cleaning up and cleaning out, something I desperately need to do in my own home. The comment was along the lines that for the process to really work, really stick, you have to be ready to let things go. If you aren’t ready, even if you purge the stuff, you’ll just replace it with more stuff. 
Judges 10:6b-8 …And because the Israelites forsook the LORD and no longer served Him, He became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, who that year shattered and crushed them.
I was reminded of that exchange when I read today’s scripture. God loves the Israelites. They are calling out to Him (because they have turned away from Him and made a mess of things again). God wants to help them but knows they are not truly turning back to Him with their whole hearts…yet. He knows if He rescues them right now, they will just fill their lives with more stuff because they aren’t ready. So He gives them over to their desires (other gods) so they can realize on their own their true, deep need for Him.
Judges 10:14 “Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that You are a loving parent who wants what is best for Your children, and that sometimes that means pain in the short term for greater good in the long term. Draw us closer, Lord. Help us to turn our hearts to You. Always. Amen.
Judges 10:15 But the Israelites said to the LORD, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever You think best, but please rescue us now.”
Have a blessed day.

Judges 9:3 …they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, “He is related to us.”
As I was reading Joshua 9, I was strongly reminded of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Abimelek, like Macbeth, showed leadership potential, but pretty quickly, it went south. It didn’t take long for both “leaders” to become consumed with power, to act rashly. Would it have changed things for either ruler if they had pondered Jotham’s question in Judges 9:16 “Have you acted honorably and in good faith…?”
Judges 9:4 They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels, who became his followers.
For that matter, how often do I, in my daily words and actions, ponder Judges 9:16 “Have you acted honorably and in good faith…?” Would I change what I say and do, how I act, if that were a question foremost in my mind? Could becoming and remaining cognizant of that question aid me in my daily, hourly, moment-by-moment quest to abide with Christ each day?
Judges 9:5 He went to his father’s home…and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers….
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the sincere question in Judges 9:16. Help me to remain cognizant of that question, to apply it to my thoughts, words, and actions, to use it to help me stay aligned to Your will and Your way. Draw me closer. Always. Amen.
Judges 9:16 “Have you acted honorably and in good faith…?”
Have a blessed day.

Judges 7:2 The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against Me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’”
As I read through Judges 7, I keep thinking, “But God,” as in “But God, why would you take resources away from Gideon?” I know the answer because He SAYS why, “Israel would boast against Me, ‘My own strength has saved me,’” but there is a part of me still sputtering, “But, but, but GOD….”
Judges 7:4 But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there….”
There are many situations in my life I do not feel equipped to handle. Again, I’m sputtering, “But, but, but GOD….” My nature is to try to have all the answers before I begin, to have a plan for every contingency, but maybe God is telling me the same thing He was telling Gideon: “This has to be My victory. If I give you all the resources you want, you won’t realize your deep need for Me. You will be content in your own strength, which will not draw you closer to Me.”
Judges 7:7 The LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let the others go home.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this reminder that I need You, Your strength, Your wisdom, Your hope. Help me to move past the need for all the answers so that I can rely on Your strength and not my own. Draw me closer. Amen.
Judges 7:9 During that night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands.”
Have a blessed day.

Judges 6:12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, He said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”
Gideon has heard stories about the Lord but feels the Lord has abandoned the Israelites. He doesn’t see that it is the Israelites that have moved away from God and not the other way around. 
Judges 6:13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all His wonders that our ancestors told us about… But now the LORD had abandoned us….”
Gideon also, similar to Moses, tells the Lord why he is not a good one to send to accomplish His will. It brings me comfort that I am not the only one who questions because I don’t feel God’s strength in me for what He is calling me to do.
Judges 6:14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for the reminder that what  You call us to, You will equip us for—in Your strength, not our own. Help us, when You feel far away, to look at what we can do to draw closer to You. Give us strength and courage to shine Your light. Draw us closer. Amen.
Judges 6:15 “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.”
Have a blessed day.