Author: Larry Soape

Re:Verse reading–Judges 17:1-6; 18:1; 19:1; 20:1-7; 21:25 (day four)

Micah’s mother meant well.  She was pleased to find what happened to her silver and she dedicated it to the Lord.  Where she failed though was in her application.  Instead of worshipping the Lord in the way He had prescribed, she did it in her own way.  She disobeyed God’s direct command to make no graven images.  She sought to worship God according to her own sinful heart.

Are we guilty of ignoring God’s commands and doing things our own way?  Have we placed idols before God?  Maybe we had good intentions, but we failed to base our actions in Scripture.  Have we lost sight of the Truth in Scripture…saying that it was good for the ancients, but it is no longer valid for today?   Ask the Lord to search your heart and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.  God’s Truth never changes…it applies today just as it did thousands of years ago.

Re:Verse reading–Judges 13:1-5, 14:1-9, 16:1-30 (day four)

Verse 13:1 – “Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord…”  It was a vicious and constant cycle…Israel would do evil, they would be oppressed, they would cry out to God, and He would send a deliverer.  They would serve God for a short while and then they would again do evil…and the cycle repeated.  Over and over, God demonstrated His grace and longsuffering.  Israel did not deserve forgiveness, but God gave it.

Often, our lives are the same.  We make promises to God for righteousness, we sin and fail to keep those promises, our circumstances of life go sour, and we cry out to God.  Again, we make promises if He will only deliver us, and our cycle continues.  How can we have victory over this cycle of sin?  It can only come by surrender…we must surrender control of our life and draw on the power of the Holy Spirit to deliver us.  Work from obedience rather than circumstance!

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

Verse 29 – “Now the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah.”

We are told that Jephthah was a valiant warrior.  He had a reputation for his prowess as a soldier.  When he was driven away from Gilead, even the worthless men of Tob recognized him as a leader to be followed.  (Fast forward in history to a time when the Ammonites were again attacking Israel.  They hired 12,000 mercenaries from Tob to attack King David of Israel.  This time they were not led by a God-fearing man.  The results were much different.)  Even with his great strength and skill as a warrior though, the true key to his victory is given here in verse 29.  The Spirit of the Lord rested on Jephthah and he was victorious over the sons of Ammon.

In our lives…our position, our reputation for greatness, or our support of thousands will make no difference if we are not abiding with the Lord.  When God’s Spirit directs our lives, there is victory!

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

God had given Gideon instructions for the battle…He had promised to deliver the enemy into the hands of Gideon’s small army.  To reassure Gideon, God told him to take his servant and go observe the enemy’s camp.  When he did, Gideon had confirmation that God was doing what He had promised.  From a dream, one of the soldiers was foretelling Gideon’s coming victory.  Verse 15 says, “When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship.”

Gideon recognized that the God of the Universe was working in his life.  When he did, he worshipped!  When God works in our lives, how do we respond?  Have you ever had an answer to your prayer?  Has God protected you from impending danger?  Have you ever just looked around at God’s magnificent creation and recognized His hand at work?  How did you respond?  When God intersects our lives with His grace, it should cause us to worship.  Gideon got it right!

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

Gideon is the hero of our story this week, but he almost could have been eliminated before he got started.  He was speaking face to face with the Angel of the Lord and Gideon wanted some proof that it was God who was really speaking to him.  Once the Angel accepted the offering and caused it to be consumed with fire, Gideon realized (too late) that it really was God.  Gideon feared for his life.  Maybe Gideon did not consider that it might actually be God…maybe he didn’t consider what would happen to him if it was God he was speaking to.  God was merciful and told Gideon he would not die.

Many today approach God the same way.  They can never decide to believe in Him and yield their life to His control…they want more proof.  Then…it is too late!  When we stand before God in judgment, following death, it will be too late to recognize it really was Him.  It will be too late for mercy.  Today is the day for salvation…don’t put it off!

Re:Verse reading–Judges 4:1-22 (day four)

Ask any high school football player in Texas what the worst part of playing football is and he will probably say two-a-days in August.  Killers!  You’ve laid off all summer…you kept intending to work out…your high calorie diet has added a few extra pounds.  “Next year I’ll do better.”  Two-a-days are designed to prepare you for the season…many of your games will be won depending on the advance preparation you have done.

For Israel, God promised to go before them in battle.  All they had to do was be obedient to Him.  Verse 14 says, “…behold, the Lord has gone out before you.”  What a promise to have God go before you.  Don’t you want God’s spokesperson to declare to you that God has gone before you in battle?

For us, our preparation for battle is prayer.  We must bath everything we do in prayer or it is useless in God’s Kingdom work.  We can face insurmountable odds if only God has gone before us!

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

Israel had disobeyed the Lord.  They had not driven all the peoples from the land.  God judged their disobedience by refusing to fight their battles for them.  Israel’s disobedience would have long lasting effects.

One of the saddest commentaries though is found in verse 10.  “All that generation (Joshua and the Elders who served with him) also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel.”  What had happened to Israel?  In Deuteronomy 6:7, it says, “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”  Israel had failed to teach the future generations about the Lord.

What about us?  Are we teaching our sons and our daughters about the ways of God and to know Him personally?  Do we consider “religion” to be so personal that we fail to teach the truth to those behind us?  Love the Lord and teach diligently!

Re:Verse reading–Joshua 23; Joshua 24:14-15 (day four)

You would have thought that Israel would have understood that God was true to His word.  They had seen His hand at work for Israel…they had been reminded over and over from Moses and Joshua of His deliverance…they had experienced firsthand His provision…yet, Israel failed to be obedient and found God true to His word in judgment as well.  We could be hard on them…why couldn’t they learn?

God has given us some commands as well.  Do not seek revenge…forgive…turn the other cheek…ask and it shall be given you…do not worry…walk in faith…walk in the Spirit.  Why don’t we obey Him?  We’ve seen Him at work, we’ve been reminded over and over in sermons and bible studies, He has even done mighty works in our own lives…why do we struggle to obey?  We are told that we need to spend time with God daily in bible study; we should pray and ask God’s counsel; and we should wait on the Lord.  Maybe we need to make a commitment that we will serve the Lord!  Fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity.