Author: Aaron Hufty

Re:Verse reading–Judges 11:1-6, 28-40 (day two) “Gilead’s wife bore him sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, ‘You shall not have an inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.'” vs. 2

“But the king of the sons of Ammon disregarded the message which Jephthah sent him.” vs. 28

Tragic story. Not at all a Disney version, and born out of rejection…twice. The first time by his half-brothers who were repulsed by his illicit beginnings. Even after he had grown and the Lord had placed in a place as a Judge of Israel  he was rejected by the Ammonite King. This, perhaps, was a catalyst for the hasty pledge made towards God to sacrifice “whatever comes out of the door of my house.” God did not make that pledge, Jephthah did. Do you let your past rejections fuel your decision making process? Where God has placed you, he will use you. Let your love for him guide your path, not your fear.

Re:Verse reading–Judges 7:2-8, 15-22 (day two) 

“When they blew 300 trumpets, the Lord set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army…” Vs. 22a

Never underestimate what God can do with a good brass band! Think about it, they brought down walls in Jericho, and caused an entire army to turn on each other in the story of Gideon. I am sure it wouldn’t surprise anyone if I would wax poetic about that musical power > military power, but let’s just consider how God continues to confound the wise with his unorthodox methods. How will the Lord demonstrate his power, love, and mercy in your life. Are you expecting a Damascus Road experience? Perhaps you are hoping that the Christians of the world will rise up and seize power from the corrupt leaders of our time. What if God chooses some unlikely set of circumstances to bring about his glory. Will you recognize the Lord, or dismiss it out of hand because it wasn’t what you have envisioned. We need to stop trying to outthink God, and let him use us in his infinitely creative ways. Personally, I’m hoping the next time he uses a choir.

Re:Verse reading–Judges 6:1-2, 11-28, 36-40 (day two)

 And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. 6:38

Gideon wanted to be sure. God was very patient. It began with the first encounter (6:17) Gideon said “show me a sign”, and the Lord swallowed up the offering in flame. Then just to be sure he was hearing correctly Gideon asked for another sign. This time it was the dew on the fleece. God appeased the request. Then, just to be sure, Gideon made another request, this time for dew on the ground and not the fleece. God again made his power clearly known. Gideon trusted. Gideon obeyed.

At some point our bluff will be called. Have you come to the point where God has demonstrated himself through his Word, his people, or in some other way? God is patient, but at some point Gideon had to stop asking for signs and start trusting. Is it time for you to start trusting again?

Re:Verse reading–Judges 4:1-22 (day two) Then Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, then I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” vs 8

The Lord was very clear in his instructions to Barak given through Deborah, but it didn’t bring peace to Barak. He knew what he was to do, and was even guaranteed a successful outcome, but he wanted insurance. He felt if Deborah would accompany them into battle it would turn out well. She went, they succeeded, but Barak had to learn a lesson in trust.

Have you ever put conditions on the Lord? Have you clearly heard from him only to continue to demand things of him? “I’ll obey, but…” This is where our lack of true faith is made evident. God will accomplish the task that you have been called to be a part of, the only question is will you put your own conditions on him, and jeopardize your blessing?

Re:Verse reading–Judges 2:1-3, 6-22 (day two)

“‘I will never break My covenant with you, 2 and as for you, you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed Me; what is this you have done?” 2:1b-2

What happens when someone in a covenant relationship breaks fellowship? Does this end the covenant? The very nature of what a covenant is should answer that for itself, and yet we still struggle with how to deal with this in our own lives. The people of Israel willfully choose to defy the instructions of their youth, Joshua, and the judges. This grievous action requires course correction, not a call to scuttle the ship. God in his  mercy made a pact with his people, and he is faithful to see it through. We, in our brokenness, will continue to find ways, like the Israelites, to break that promise. As a result we are chastised, punished, corrected, but never abandoned.

We are not born into new life only to be given free reign to our selfish ambitions. When God corrects our course it serves only to remind us of the eternal pact he made with us. Stay focused on him, and stay to course.

Re:Verse reading–Joshua 23; Joshua 24:14-15 (day two)  “But you are to cling to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day.” Vs. 8

Joshua had seen the nation of Israel as far as he could go. Another moment of transition was upon them, and these words were a fitting end to his ministry. They were a reminder that although God had delivered nations, lands, and blessings to the people of Israel they were still surrounded by foreign cultures that were in opposition to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God’s past deliverance is not a get out of jail card from all future trials and temptations. Joshua’s counsel to his people was to remember, tell the stories of God’s faithfulness, and hold true to the word.

When we are freed from sin and places of darkness it is common to have a period of clean living followed by a return to the old life. If you are delivered from darkness it stands to reason that those temptations haven’t disappeared. God wants us to remember where we’ve been, and how he freed us from bondage so that we will not repeat those mistakes. Cling to his word, trust his promise, live in his mercy.

Re:Verse reading–Joshua 9 (day two) So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and did not ask for the counsel of the Lord. vs. 14

 Then Joshua called for them and spoke to them, saying, “Why have you deceived us, saying, ‘We are very far from you,’ when you are living within our land? vs. 22

Caveat Emptor – Buyer Beware. I have never been good at negotiating. Whether with my siblings, or for a new car, or house. I suppose most savvy business folks would say that I don’t have what it takes to secure the deal. My problem is always the same. I begin with the assumption that everyone will be completely forthcoming in the process. I will be very forthright about what I can pay or exchange, and I assume that you will do the same. To put it another way, I always put all my cards on the table from the start. It’s a very trusting posture, but not a very sound one in making deals.

I have learned this about myself, and as such I try to never make a deal on the fly. I force myself to stop, sleep, and pray. If I can’t find peace about it, it is not for me. Joshua would have been wise to follow this advice. He looked at the situation and assumed he understood. He did not seek the Lord’s counsel, and as a result were deceived.

Nothing is worth getting ahead of God.

Re:Verse reading–Mark 15:16-20, 24-40; Mark 16:1-8 (Holy Week reading, day two) Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,  save Yourself, and come down from the cross!” 15:29-30

…”fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame…” Hebrews 12:2

Jesus endured unimaginable torture before succumbing on the cross. He knew what he must do, and he knew that it would be unbearable…and yet he did it. The writer of Hebrews calls it “joy”. The joy was not the cross, but the victory beyond it. Jesus knew this too. His eyes were fixed, not on the cross, but on the throne. My allegiance is to the one who bridged the gap on the cross for sinners like me to have access to that joy.

Have a blessed Holy Week.

Re: Verse reading–Joshua 3:5-17, 4:14-24 (day two)

“When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.”  vs. 8

They had heard the stories, but none of this generation of Israelites had experienced the Red Sea. Unlike their forefathers who were being pursued by the Egyptians this group faced battle in front of them. In the midst of this time of change, when every day brought new challenges God told Joshua to wade into the current and stand still. Perhaps God wanted Joshua to feel the current moving around his feet. In the midst of an ever-changing world, God is our constant.

But what happened next is our own hope in a time of change: “Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over ahead of you into the Jordan.” vs. 11

God went first. Joshua went into the moving current and became aware of all turbulence around him, and then the ark went before him and a path was made for the people.

Life is a mess. The world is in disorder. STOP and then let God go before you.

Re:Verse reading–Joshua 2 (day two) “…for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on earth below.” vs. 11

“They entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there.” vs. 1

If you were to look at Rahab’s past would you think that there would be anything in her life that prepared her to be such an ambassador for the Lord? Hers is the kind of life that is often used as an illustration of sin and destruction. But doesn’t it also illustrate that God can change a heart of corruption into a vessel of service and love? The idea that we have to come from purity into purity is folly. We are broken, ugly, and involved in lifestyles that if brought to light would be our undoing, but if we are witness to God’s redeeming love, like Rahab, we too can experience his forgiveness, his power, and his promise. Stop looking backwards, look outside those walls of Jericho.