Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 1:1-26 & Psalm 67

When Naomi found herself without her sons and without grandchildren, she felt sorry for herself and blamed God for the pain that life had dealt her. Where was Naomi’s prayer life? Did she call on God? Even after Ruth gave birth to Obed, we hear the women in Bethlehem praising God but the author leaves out Naomi’s praise. We know she found great joy in caring for her grandson, but did she spend as much time thanking God as she had blaming God and taking pity on herself?

Hannah was just as grief stricken to be without children as Naomi was to have lost hers. But what we see in Hannah’s story is a woman who prayed to God for the desires of her heart and her prayers were answered. Her story teaches us how to pray and reveals the heart behind her prayers.

GOD SAW HANNAH’S HEART

Hannah was barren and wanted to have a baby. Scripture says Hannah prayed “out of great anguish and sorrow” (1 Samuel 1:16). I’ve read this story many times and have always been able to relate to Hannah’s heart because of my own struggle with infertility before I was healed. But one day, while again reading through 1 Samuel, God graciously showed me something different in Hannah’s story.

I used to think Hannah wanted a child so that she could have a child. That makes sense to me. But then she gives him back to the Lord and is again without a child — a part of the story that has always confused me. Hannah’s intent was always to GIVE THE CHILD BACK TO GOD, not just in the way we do when we dedicate our children to the Lord but to literally give her child to the Church and again be without him. If I focus on the annual sacrifice, I see the heart behind Hannah’s desire to have a son.

The portion of the meat Hannah was given to sacrifice was choice (some translations say it was a double portion) and it showed Elkanah’s great love for her, but it still reflected the reality that she was without children. She prayed for a child so that she would have something of great worth to give back to God. She could give the most incredible sacrifice a mother could ever give — her son.

God saw Hannah’s heart — saw that it was out of love for God that she asked for something God would see as priceless and beyond the value of any other sacrifice. God, who knew He would one day offer His own son as a sacrifice, understood the cost. He understood Hannah’s heart and He answered her prayer.

GOD SAW HANNAH’S FAITH

When Hannah explained the reason behind her great anguish and sorrow to the priest, Eli, he responded: “In that case, go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him” (1:17). And that is exactly what Hannah did — she left with a peace and confidence that God would indeed answer her prayer. No longer sad, Hannah went back and began to eat again.

What great faith Hannah had! She was already celebrating her answered prayer. Was she pregnant? No, Hannah’s prayer had not yet been answered but she believed that God would grant her request. Hannah was allowing the Lord to fill her heart with joy again — even before her prayer was answered.

When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the Lord remembered her plea, and in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I asked the Lord for him.” – 1 Samuel 1:19b–20

And next we see the heart of Hannah’s husband. When Hannah told Elkanah of her plans to leave Samuel at the Tabernacle, his response was “Whatever you think is best.” Let’s not miss the fact that he would soon be losing the son he loved. In fact, Elkanah could have forbidden such a sacrifice, but he instead affirmed and supported Hannah’s promise to God. Elkanah loved Hannah and had seen her joy return in the birth of her son, yet he recognized the struggle that was ahead. They knew it would be difficult to give Samuel to the Lord and Elkanah prayed for help from the Lord. He recognized that the God they served could give them the strength to do exactly what they had committed to do.

GOD GAVE HANNAH STRENGTH

When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine. After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. “Sir, do you remember me?” Hannah asked. “I am the woman who stood here several years ago praying to the Lord. I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.” And they worshiped the Lord there. – 1 Samuel 1:24-28

Hannah went from carrying a small sacrifice of meat to Shiloh to pulling along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice. What a difference! She was traveling to Shiloh to give God her best — to lovingly place her son in the arms of the Church and allow God to use his life for the Kingdom. The bull represented the value of all God’s blessings and all she was looking forward to giving back to God. God had blessed her generously so that she could give back to Him. God had seen the desire of her heart!

Lord, give me the heart of Hannah – give me her PASSION to be generous with you and her great FAITH to trust you. Then give me the STRENGTH to do all you have called me to do and all I committed to you. I thank you from the depth of my heart for the three wonderful daughters you have given me. I will forever be blessed by this gift of motherhood and I commit to leaving them in your hands so that you can fulfill your purposes through them. Amen.

May God be merciful and bless us.
May his face smile with favor on us. – Psalm 67:1

Today’s Reading: Ruth 2-4; Psalm 55

“Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.” – Ruth 1:16

During her time of discouragement and grief, Naomi was blessed to have the love and care of her daughter-in-law, Ruth. Returning to her homeland and her relatives without her husband and sons was difficult for Naomi. It was late spring, the beginning of harvest time, but no one had been there to care for Naomi’s land. This meant there was nothing to harvest, therefore nothing to eat. Ruth volunteered to go and gather any stalks left behind by those harvesting their fields.

Ruth found herself at the field of a relative of Naomi’s husband. When Boaz inquired about this woman who was gathering grain in his fields, he learned that it was the Moabite woman he had heard so much about. He knew she chose to leave her family behind in order to care for Naomi. He provided safety for her by inviting her to continue to gather grain in his fields and to drink from the water the workers had drawn from the well.

“May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.” – Ruth 2:12

Boaz allowed Ruth to eat lunch with them and told his workers to be sure to intentionally drop extra grain for her to pick up as she followed them in the fields. That night she brought home a full basket of grain to Naomi.

Every day, Ruth returned to the fields of Boaz to gather grain. At the end of the harvest, Naomi instructed her to approach Boaz privately, asking him to “spread the corner of his covering” over her. Boaz treated Ruth kindly and sent her back to Naomi with 6 scoops of barley.

BOAZ HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE FAMILY REDEEMER FOR NAOMI AND RUTH.

Boaz then went to Elimelech’s next of kin to ask if he was going to buy Naomi’s land and marry Ruth. When the family member voiced his concern over what it might cost him to redeem his inheritance, Boaz offered to purchase the land and marry Ruth. God blessed their marriage and Ruth gave birth to a son, even though she had never been able to have children with her first husband.

God saw the broken heart of Naomi and He was not done blessing her. Through a “family redeemer”, God provided Ruth with both a husband and a son. God showed His loving care of a grieving widow and her loyal daughter-in-law. The women of Bethlehem rejoiced and said to Naomi:

“Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!”

Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. The neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David. – Ruth 4:14b-17

TRUST GOD THROUGH THE TRAGEDIES. HE CAN REDEEM OUR STORY FOR HIS GLORY!

God knows the good things He has planned for us and our children. From Naomi’s grandson would come the first King of Israel and then the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. What a great reminder for us to trust God through the tragedies — to let the hard times increase our faith and trust in the God who knows what is ahead and loves us enough to send His son to die on a cross for us — to become our ultimate Redeemer. Praise the Lord, who has provided a Redeemer for all of us!

But I will call on God,
and the Lord will rescue me.
Morning, noon, and night
I cry out in my distress,
and the Lord hears my voice.
He ransoms me and keeps me safe
from the battle waged against me,
though many still oppose me.
God, who has ruled forever,
will hear me and humble them…
Give your burdens to the Lord,
and he will take care of you.
He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. – Psalm 55:16-19a, 22

Today’s Reading: Ruth 1, Psalm 72

In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. – Ruth 1:1-2a

SOMETIMES WE CREATE TRAGEDY WHEN WE DO NOT TRUST GOD.

We read back in Genesis of the disturbing origin of the Moabites. After Lot fled from Sodom and Gomorrah, he settled in a small village of Zoar. He became afraid of the people there and retreated to a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. These young women began to fear they would never marry and have children, now that they were isolated and living away from their people. So they shamefully got their father drunk and took turns going in to lie with him and to do things that should never be done. As a result they both became pregnant with their own father’s child. Instead of trusting in God to meet their needs, they took their future into their own hands and sinned against both God and their father.

The oldest daughter gave birth to a son and she named him Moab. The younger sister gave birth to a son and named him Ben-ammi. These two boys grew up and their families became the Moabites and the Ammonites – two perennial enemies of Israel with a history of wickedness as grotesque as their incest-born origin (Genesis 19:30-38).

The reason this history is significant to me is that Elimelech and his family were able to peacefully settle in the land of Moab regardless of the history of these two nations (Judah and Moab). In a time of severe famine, when their family needed a place of refuge, God graciously provided a peaceful resting place for them. But trouble and sorrow are often a part of everyday life and Elimelech died, leaving Naomi alone with her two sons. Contrary to God’s command for Israelites to not marry foreigners, Naomi’s sons married Moabite women – Orpah and Ruth. Ten years later, tragedy struck again and Naomi lost both her sons.

SOMETIMES GOD ALLOWS TRAGEDY IN OUR LIFE.

“…the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.” – Ruth 1:13b

These are the words of a woman with a broken heart, struggling to understand why the God who had provided so well for her during her everyday existence would now allow such tragedy to strike her family. She had praised God during times of plenty but now pitied herself during times of loss.

Naomi encouraged her two daughters-in-law to return to their families, but Ruth loved Naomi and begged to return to Naomi’s homeland with her, pledging “…Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God…” (1:16b).

When Naomi returned to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited to see her. The women could hardly believe they were seeing their longtime friend, Naomi, returning home. It did not take them long to realize this wasn’t the same person who had left years before. Naomi had suffered tragedy and lost her joy for life. Naomi left seeking God and returned bitter towards God.

“Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?” – Ruth 1:20-21

Naomi left Bethlehem during a severe famine but she described herself as “full” at that time. Her physical needs were suffering but she had her family and, therefore, joy. She returned to Bethlehem with her physical needs met and the blessing of a loyal and virtuous daughter-in-law, but she could not see beyond her pain to rejoice in what God had blessed her with. She only saw what she was without.

HOW OFTEN DOES OUR PRAISE TURN INTO PITY WHEN TRAGEDY STRIKES?

We struggle to understand why the same God who has blessed us so generously could allow heartache and pain to come into our lives. We live in an imperfect world where death and disease are a reality, yet we blame God for not intervening and saving us from the worst pain we have ever felt. But it is important for us to know that we serve a God who cares for us when tragedy strikes. We have been redeemed by Christ and it is time to recognize that we are precious to Him; He cares about what we are going through.

He will rescue the poor when they cry to him;
he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.
He feels pity for the weak and the needy,
and he will rescue them.
He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
for their lives are precious to him. — Psalm 72:12-14

Today’s Reading: Judges 19-21; Psalm 11

The next three chapters of Judges are dark and disturbing. It would be easier to skip over them, as I have all the other times I have journeyed through the bible, but I am going to attempt to share the heaviness of my heart as I compare this story in history to the chapter we have been living out since 1973.

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. — Judges 21:25

Our story begins with a Levite traveling to Bethlehem to retrieve his concubine, who had been unfaithful to him by returning to her father’s home. Around sunset on their return home, they stopped in the town of Gibeah, which was inhabited by Israelites from the tribe of Benjamin. They sat in the town square, but no one showed them hospitality, as was the tradition.

Finally an older man invited them into his home. He fed their donkeys, gave them water to wash their feet, and then gave them something to eat and drink. But some of the wicked men in town began pounding on the older man’s door, demanding that he send out his guest so that they could have sex with him. The owner of the home described their request as vile and outrageous, and he offered to send out the man’s concubine and his own daughter instead. When they wouldn’t leave, the Levite cowardly pushed his concubine through the door so that they could do as they pleased with her. So all night long, the wicked men raped and abused the woman.

When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. He said to her, “Get up; let’s go.” But there was no answer. Then the man put her on his donkey and set out for home. — Judges 19:27-28

As I said before, this story is dark and disturbing. What the men of Gibeah did to this young woman was horrendous, but let’s not miss the total disregard the Levite had for his concubine. Instead of protecting her, he sacrificed her for his own protection. Instead of waiting for her return, he went to sleep and did not step out to look for her until the next morning. Instead of grieving the crime that had been committed against her, he heartlessly demanded she get up so they could continue their journey home. Instead of honoring her in death, he cut her body into 12 pieces and sent them to each tribe of Israel so that all would know about this crime committed against him in Gibeah.

400,000 Israelites came with swords to give this Levite and his dead concubine justice. When they asked the tribe of Benjamin to hand over the men who had committed this awful crime, the leaders refused and gathered together 26,000 of their swordsmen to defend their right to do whatever they wanted.

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. — Judges 21:25

Having the home turf advantage, Benjamin successfully fought back the Israelites. 22,000 Israelites died on the first day and 18,000 on the second. They changed their strategy on the third day, and 25,100 Benjamites died on the battlefield. The Israelites swept through the territory killing anyone they found and setting their towns on fire.

The next morning, the Israelites grieved the loss of their 12th tribe. Having killed all of the women, they decided to take it upon themselves to find wives for the remaining Benjamites. They attacked the town of Jabesh-Gilead, abducting all the virgins and killing the rest of the people. When they still fell short of the number of women they needed, they allowed the Benjamites to seize the young women in Shiloh as they danced at the annual festival of the Lord.

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit. — Judges 21:25

I find the atrocities committed in these three chapters painful to study. My heart grieves at the total disregard for the sanctity of human life and for the mistreatment of women. Oh how I wish I did not see a likeness to this degradation in our own society today. My heart breaks at the men and women who are being used as pawns in a political game that allows the abortion industry to grow more powerful, disguised as an issue of women’s rights. Sex trafficking, rape, child abuse, domestic violence, gender fluidity, prostitution — the list goes on and on. We are becoming a nation that celebrates the freedom for every individual to do whatever they see fit to do.

As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen. “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”

But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace.” — Luke 19:36-42

What a privilege it is to worship you this morning, Lord. Give us an understanding of how you grieve the sin of this world. Give us hearts that mourn when you mourn, and give us wisdom to respond to the injustices of this world. May we never stand in protection of sin, but may we be used by you to bring light into the darkness of our society. Give us an understanding of the way to peace. “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” (John 12:13b) Amen.

The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
What can the righteous do?”
But the Lord is in his holy Temple;
the Lord still rules from heaven.
He watches everyone closely,
examining every person on earth. – Psalm 11:3-4

Today’s Reading: Judges 17-18; Psalm 76

There was a man named Micah, who lived in the hill country of Ephraim. One day he said to his mother, “I heard you place a curse on the person who stole 1,100 pieces of silver from you. Well, I have the money. I was the one who took it.”

“The Lord bless you for admitting it,” his mother replied. He returned the money to her, and she said, “I now dedicate these silver coins to the Lord. In honor of my son, I will have an image carved and an idol cast.”

So when he returned the money to his mother, she took 200 silver coins and gave them to a silversmith, who made them into an image and an idol. And these were placed in Micah’s house. Micah set up a shrine for the idol, and he made a sacred ephod and some household idols. Then he installed one of his sons as his personal priest. — Judges 17:1-5

Proud of her son, Micah’s mother called on the Lord to bless her son for his truthfulness and restitution. She said she was going to use the coins as a dedication to the Lord, but instead she turned around and made it all about honoring her son. She even went as far as to create an idol for her family to commemorate what a grand gesture her son had made, all the while dishonoring the God who said:

“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected — even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.” — Deuteronomy 5:8-10

WE CANNOT EXPECT GOD TO BLESS US WHILE WE BOLDLY LIVE IN DISOBEDIENCE.

I can respectfully acknowledge Micah’s honesty, but everything goes downhill after his confession. Enjoying the recognition he was receiving, Micah created a shrine and instituted religious activities around his new idol by establishing one of his sons as his priest. He later met a Levite who was looking to relocate to a new area, and Micah invited him to stay and be his false priest. This invitation should have repulsed the man whose tribe had been set apart to serve God, but something about the terms appealed to the man and he accepted.

So Micah installed the Levite as his personal priest, and he lived in Micah’s house. “I know the Lord will bless me now,” Micah said, “because I have a Levite serving as my priest.” — Judges 17:12-13

There it is again! Micah had placed something else ahead of his worship of the one and only Creator of heaven and earth, yet he expected the Lord to bless him. He was manipulating his circumstances in order to make his sin look less ugly in God’s eyes.

The Lord detests the way of the wicked, but he loves those who pursue godliness. — Proverbs 15:9

You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. — Ephesians 5:5-6

I see our culture today reflected in the image this passage describes — not just the world’s culture but the culture of the church. We soften our stance against behavior that God has clearly described as sin and we expect Him to continue to bless us. We try to outweigh the bad with good and hope that the sum of our actions bribes God to ignore our disobedience.

But we serve a holy God who does not make allowances for sin, nor is He entertained by our excuses. We serve a God who was willing to give His one and only Son as a sacrifice for our sins in order to free us from our sinful nature. We no longer have to live out the sinful desires of our heart with the excuse that we are too weak to do better. God equips us to live in a right relationship with Him because He loves us too much to leave us in our sinful condition. Living a holy life is part of our covenant relationship with God; therefore, continuing in sin is the same as trampling on the Son of God who shed His blood for the sake of this new covenant.

Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies. For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. – Hebrews 10:26-29

WE CANNOT EXPECT GOD TO BLESS US WHILE WE BOLDLY LIVE IN DISOBEDIENCE.

Lord, please forgive us for the ways in which we selfishly do what we want to do, even though you died so that we no longer need to live in slavery to our sinful nature. Forgive us for the bold ways in which we hold out our hands in expectation of your blessings when we are not willing to empty our hands of those things you have clearly defined as sin. We pray for a revival to awaken our churches from their complacency, and we ask you to give them a passion to see others experiencing the life Jesus died to give them. Thank you for your grace, thank you for your love, and thank you for your mercy. What a privilege it is to serve our Holy God, who has always been and will always be worthy of our praise. Amen.

Make vows to the Lord your God, and keep them.
Let everyone bring tribute to the Awesome One.
For he breaks the pride of princes,
and the kings of the earth fear him. – Psalm 76:11-12

Today’s Reading: Judges 16, Psalm 22

One day Samson went to the Philistine town of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute. Word soon spread that Samson was there, so the men of Gaza gathered together and waited all night at the town gates. They kept quiet during the night, saying to themselves, “When the light of morning comes, we will kill him.”

But Samson stayed in bed only until midnight. Then he got up, took hold of the doors of the town gate, including the two posts, and lifted them up, bar and all. He put them on his shoulders and carried them all the way to the top of the hill across from Hebron. – Judges 16:1-3

One thing that is consistent about Samson is his love to display his own strength. He knew God had chosen him before he was born for a special purpose but, instead of being humbled by God’s selection, he took pride in what he could do. Samson saw himself as invincible and lost sight of His invincible God. He took pleasure in doing whatever pleased him in the moment, rather than living to please the Lord.

Some time later Samson fell in love with a woman named Delilah, who lived in the valley of Sorek. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice Samson to tell you what makes him so strong and how he can be overpowered and tied up securely. Then each of us will give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” – Judges 16:4-5

The Philistines were intent on discovering Samson’s weakness so that they could stop him from wreaking havoc on their people and their land. They saw his infatuation with Delilah as the perfect opportunity to bring him down, and they capitalized on his lust for physical pleasure and her lust for money.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Over and over again, Delilah would ask Samson what the source of his strength was. He would give her a wrong answer and she would attempt to hand him over to the Philistines. Even though her lack of loyalty was obvious, Samson enjoyed the game and so he continued to give her wrong answers. Delilah nagged and tormented Samson until he was sick to death of it (16:16) and Samson foolishly gave in to her.

“My hair has never been cut,” he confessed, “for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as anyone else.” – Judges 16:17

And that is exactly what Samson became – weak and unable to save himself. The PLAYER had been PLAYED. Delilah shaved his head and the Philistines captured him. Samson thought the source of his strength was due to the presence of his hair, but his failure to acknowledge God in his life was really the reason he lost his strength. The Lord left Samson to suffer the consequence of his games.

SAMSON’S STRENGTH WAS NEVER IN HIS HAIR.

In a time when so many are curious about their strengths and their giftings, it is good to be reminded that God is the source of our best attributes. We are nothing without Him. He is our Creator and has uniquely designed us for His purposes. Anything we accomplish should be attributed to God and He should be given all the glory.

“Oh Lord,” I prayed, “have mercy on me. Heal me for I have sinned against you…Lord, have mercy on me. Make me well again, so I can pay them back!” – Psalm 41:4,10

The Philistines gouged Samson’s eyes out and bound him in bronze chains. The Avenger was now blind; the Player was now a prisoner. When Samson realized the foolishness of his ways, he began to pray to the Lord. One day they brought him out as a source of entertainment, and Samson asked the servant who was leading him to place him between the two pillars holding up the roof of the temple so that he could lean against them for support.

O Lord, do not stay far away!
You are my strength; come quickly to my aid! – Psalm 22:19

Then Samson asked God to remember him again and to give him one more opportunity to destroy Israel’s enemy. Pushing the two center pillars with the strength he now realized was from the Lord, Samson caused the temple to crash down on all the Philistine rulers, killing everyone in the temple including himself (Judges 16:28-30).

Praise the Lord! He has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.
The Lord gives his people strength. – Psalm 28:6-7-8a

Thank you, Father God, for the strength you give us each day to face what lies ahead. It is a blessing to know that you are in control and that there is nothing ahead of us that you are unaware of or unprepared for. When we begin to give ourselves credit, remind us that you are our strength and our shield. Our hearts are bursting with gratitude for we serve the Lord who gives his people strength!

Today’s Reading: Judges 13:24-15:20, Psalm 10

The Incredible Hulk comes to mind when I read the story of this next judge for Israel. When the Hulk’s blood pressure reached a certain level, or in times of extreme anger, he turned into this strong green creature. One of the famous quotes from the television series was: “Mr. McGee, don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry.” Samson was strong like the Hulk and his biggest weakness was also his temper.

This quote comes to mind as I read the story of Samson because, I must admit, I’m not a big fan of this judge of Israel. But God chose him before he was even born to be used by God to lead the people of Israel, so I have to see the good in Samson’s life, even though he comes across as more FULL OF HIMSELF than FULL OF THE SPIRIT.

When her son was born, she named him Samson. And the Lord blessed him as he grew up. And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him…His father and mother didn’t realize the Lord was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at the time. – Judges 13:24-25; 14:4

Samson might have been a little spoiled by his parents. When a young Philistine woman caught his eye, he demanded his parents get this young woman for him. When they tried to change his mind, encouraging him to choose an Israelite woman instead of a pagan Philistine woman, Samson demanded “Get her for me! She looks good to me” (14:3b). Samson’s SELFISH NATURE would be his downfall, but God would be sure to accomplish His purposes, even through Samson’s temper tantrums and foolish behavior.

As Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah. At that moment the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion’s jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it easily as if it were a young goat….Later, when he returned to Timnah for the wedding, he turned off the path to look at the carcass of the lion. And he found that a swarm of bees had made some honey in the carcass. He scooped some of the honey into his hands and ate it along the way. – Judges 14:5-6a, 8-9a

SAMSON GAINED CONFIDENCE IN HIMSELF, RATHER THAN IN GOD.

Samson was physically strong, but HE WAS A PLAYER and his own games resulted in destruction. During his wedding celebration, he created a riddle related to the honey and the lion in order to gain material wealth for himself and brag about what he believed he had accomplished with his own strength. He made a bet with the Philistine men in the wedding party, challenging them to solve his riddle. When they could not, Samson’s bride tormented and nagged him until he shared the answer with her. She in turn explained the riddle to the other men and Samson now owed them each the clothing he had hoped they would be giving him. Instead of taking the loss himself, Samson went out and killed thirty men, taking their belongings and clothing to give to the thirty men he owed a prize.

Furious with how this wedding celebration had ended, Samson went home to his parents and left his bride behind. Later he returned to collect his bride but his new father-in-law had given her in marriage to the best man. In anger (more like a good old-fashioned temper tantrum), Samson tied the tails of 300 foxes together in pairs, attached lit torches to each pair, and set them loose in the Philistine grain fields, vineyards and olive groves (14:19-15:5).

SAMSON HAD ACCESS TO THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD BUT CHOSE TO LIVE ACCORDING TO HIS SINFUL NATURE INSTEAD.

When the Philistines found out why Samson had destroyed their crops, they brought the man and his daughter out and burned them to death. When Samson heard about this, he was enraged. He went out and attacked the Philistines, killing many of them. In response, the Philistines went on a manhunt to find Samson and kill him, moving their armies into the land of Judah.

When the Israelites heard of how Samson was attacking the Philistines, they asked him to stop. Samson was picking a fight they were not prepared to finish for him so, in fear, they handed him over to the Philistines. When Samson arrived at the camp, the Spirit of the Lord again came powerfully upon him. He snapped the ropes, grabbed the jawbone of a recently killed donkey and killed 1,000 Philistines with it. Then Samson arrogantly cheered for himself:

“With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve piled them in heaps!
With the jawbone of a donkey, I’ve killed a thousand men!” – Judges 15:16

SAMSOM MADE HIMSELF THE HERO IN HIS STORY.

Samson’s biggest problem was that he consistently thought HE was winning the battles. He saw himself as the HERO in his stories, missing who the true Hero was. He did not recognize that his battles were won when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. He thought he was AVENGING himself, but God was using this AVENGER to bring trouble to the Philistines, who were oppressing God’s people.

The Lord is king forever and ever!
The godless nations will vanish from the land.
Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.
You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,
so mere people can no longer terrify them. – Psalm 10:16-18

I may be the main character in my life production, but the hero of my story is God. Every victory experienced is for His glory, every battle won is to His credit. Thank you, God, for the gift of your Spirit in my life, giving me the strength to accomplish what you have called me to do. I make myself available today to be used by you — my Hero!

Today’s Reading: Judges 12-13:23; Psalm 96

A man from Bethlehem named Ibzan was the next judge of Israel. He had exactly thirty sons and thirty daughters, and the only thing scripture tells us about his seven years of leadership is how he played matchmaker for his sixty children. Next Elon from the tribe of Zebulum judged Israel for a full decade. All we know about him is where they buried him. Abdon, son of Hillel, judged for the next eight years. He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys, and again we know where he was buried.

WHAT WILL BE SAID OF US ONE DAY? WHAT LEGACY WILL WE LEAVE BEHIND?

After Abdon’s death, the people of Israel again started sinning against God, so the Lord handed them over to the Philistines for the next 40 years. But even while letting His people suffer the consequences of the life they chose for themselves, God was preparing for the birth of their next “hero”.

If you have ever seen the movie The Amazing Spider-man, perhaps you remember this famous quote from Peter’s Uncle Ben: “Peter? I know things have been difficult lately and I’m sorry about that. I think I know what you’re feeling. Ever since you were a little boy, you’ve been living with so many unresolved things. Well, take it from an old man. Those things send us down a road…they make us who we are. And if anyone’s destined for greatness, it’s you, son. You owe the world your gifts. You just have to figure out how to use them and know that wherever they take you, we’ll always be here. So, come on home, Peter. You’re my HERO…and I love you!”

In this fictional story, Ben Parker saw that his nephew was special — that he had a larger purpose in life. He intentionally spoke into Peter’s life, encouraging him to accept his calling and live to his full potential. In Judges 13, God revealed to a husband and wife that they were about to have a son who would be born for a very special purpose.

In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant and they had no children. The angel of the Lord appeared to Manoah’s wife and said, “Even though you have been unable to have children, you will soon become pregnant and give birth to a son. So be careful; you must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.” – Judges 13:2-7

Manoah’s wife ran to him and told him all the angel had said. Manoah prayed for God to send the man of God back so he could receive more instruction about this son who was to be born. I love this portion of Scripture because it speaks to the heart of Manoah. He was so thankful that God was going to bless him with a child that he wanted to be the PERFECT FATHER to this child for whom God had a special plan.

MANOAH INQUIRED OF GOD AND GOD FAITHFULLY RESPONDED.

God sent the angel back to appear to Manoah and to repeat all that he had said to Manoah’s wife, so that he could hear the instructions for himself. Manoah responded in thanksgiving by offering to the Lord both a grain offering and a burnt offering.

Manoah and his wife took their role as parents very seriously. With great intentionality, they came to God with hearts that desired to be the perfect parents for their son. They were overwhelmed that God would choose them and they wanted Him to be pleased with their worship and obedience.

Then Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and offered it on a rock as a sacrifice to the Lord. And as Manoah and his wife watched, THE LORD DID AN AMAZING THING. As the flames from the altar shot up toward the sky, the angel of the Lord ascended in the fire. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell with their faces to the ground. – Judges 14:19-20

In the middle of their sacrificial worship, God showed up for Manoah and his wife! He made his presence known in a spectacular way, affirming to these new parents that He was and would be with them.

WHEN WE INQUIRE OF GOD, HE FAITHFULLY RESPONDS.

Lord, we start out by thanking you for the wonderful opportunities you bless us with. Thank you for trusting us to be a part of your larger plan. Give us a heart that responds in obedience to your call and a desire to be excellent in how we live out your plan for our lives. Reveal to us today how you want us to prepare the way for what you would like to do in the days ahead. For those of us who are privileged to be parents, we ask for wisdom; we thank you for the reminder to be intentional in how we raise our children to follow you wholeheartedly.

Father God, we long to see you do AMAZING things, for you are an AMAZING God! We inquire of you and wait for you to faithfully respond. Be an all-consuming fire, Oh God! We love you so much! Amen.

Sing a new song to the Lord!
Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Sing to the Lord; praise his name.
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! – Psalm 96:1-4a

Today’s Reading: Judges 10-11, Psalm 123

More judges came and went for the people of God – Tola judged for 23 years and Jair for the next 22 years. Jair had 30 sons who rode 30 donkeys and owned 30 towns. Again the people did evil in the eyes of the Lord and he turned them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites, who oppressed the Israelites who lived east of the Jordan River for the next 18 years. The Ammonites crossed the river and began attacking Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim as well (10:1-9). Once more God’s people cried out to the Lord for help, confessing their sin against God.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt. – Psalm 123:3

It took 18 years of oppression for God’s people to FINALLY cry out to the Lord for help. But the hearts of the Israelites were stubborn, and they were slow to repent to the God who had rescued them out of slavery in Egypt. FINALLY God’s people let go of their need to do their own thing and cried out to God.

The Lord replied, “Did I not rescue you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites? When they oppressed you, you cried out to me for help, and I rescued you. Yet you have abandoned me and served other gods. So I will not rescue you anymore. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen! Let them rescue you in your hour of distress!”

But the Israelites pleaded with the Lord and said, “We have sinned. Punish us as you see fit, only rescue us today from our enemies.” Then the Israelites put aside their foreign gods and served the Lord. And he was grieved by their misery. – Judges 10:11-16

God’s people were ready to suffer the consequences of their sin, which is exactly what they had been experiencing for the last 18 years. When we decide we no longer want God to have authority over our lives and begin letting worldly pleasures have our full attention, there are natural consequences. Those things that pulled us away from our right relationship with God become the objects of our suffering.

BUT THE FOCUS OF THIS PASSAGE IS LESS ON THE PUNISHMENT THEY DESERVED AND MORE ON THE COMPASSION THEY RECEIVED.

We see the heart of God when we read that He was grieved by the misery of His children. God had mercy on them — He had compassion on those who deserved the punishment He had the authority to dispense, and He forgave His people once again. This is the perfect definition of mercy, to choose forgiveness and compassion even when such actions are undeserved. We see this mercy on display in the life of the next judge, Jephthah.

Now Jephthah of Gilead was a great warrior. He was the son of Gilead, but his mother was a prostitute. Gilead’s wife also had several sons, and when these half brothers grew up, they chased Jephthah off the land. “You will not get any of our father’s inheritance,” they said, “for you are the son of a prostitute.” So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob. Soon he had a band of worthless rebels following him. – Judges 11:1-3

Jephthah was rejected by his brothers because his mother was a prostitute. As far as they were concerned, his birth story would always be about the sins of his parents rather than about the legitimate love of a husband and wife. They wanted nothing to do with their half-brother, so Jephthah left and soon had a new “family” — a group of men seen as worthless misfits became a band of brothers. But when the Ammonites began a war against the Israelites, it was Jephthah that they called to rescue them.

But Jephthah said to them, “Aren’t you the ones who hated me and drove me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now when you’re in trouble?”
“Because we need you,” the elders replied. “If you lead us in battle against the Ammonites, we will make you ruler over all the people of Gilead.” – Judges 11:7-8

So Jephthah and the king of Ammon began to communicate back and forth through messengers. The Ammonites believed that the land was rightfully theirs because the Israelites had taken it from their forefathers. Jephthah reminded the king of how the land became Israel’s when King Sihon of the Amorites attacked them. The God of Israel gave His people victory in a battle they did not begin, a battle God finished for them. In the same way, it would be up to God to decide who would win today’s battle.

You keep whatever your god Chemosh gives you, and we will keep whatever the Lord our God gives us. – Judges 11:24

So God used Jephthah, the son of a prostitute, to rescue the people of Israel when they cried out in misery. Jephthah was a GREAT WARRIOR because God chose to use him to give His people victory over their enemies.

Who are we to determine the worth of one of God’s children based on the sins of their parents or the sins of their past? Who are we to say this person has value and this person does not. If God can choose the son of a prostitute out of all the men in all the tribes of Israel, then God can choose to use any of us. It’s time to shake off the identity that others have placed on you and see your identity in Christ Jesus, who loves you enough to die for you, and who sees you as someone created to do wonderful things for Him.

NO MATTER WHAT IS IN YOUR STORY, THE GOD OF MERCY CAN USE YOU TO AMAZING THINGS IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS.

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows — this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. – Psalm 68:5-6

Today’s Reading: Judges 8:22-9:57; Psalm 47

Then the Israelites said to Gideon, “Be our ruler! You and your son and your grandson will be our rulers, for you have rescued us from Midian.” But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The Lord will rule over you!” — Judges 8:22-23

GIDEON WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE A KING.

The Israelites were so excited about their mighty hero, Gideon, that they asked him to become their king. Knowing God was the true hero and the only one who deserved such an honor, Gideon denied their request. Instead he asked each one of them for a gold earring, which he melted to create a sacred ephod. What might have started as a well-meaning act of spiritual leadership ended up being a distraction for God’s people, and soon they were worshiping this beautiful thing they had created rather than keeping their eyes on their own Creator.

After Gideon passed away, the Israelites started worshiping false gods, once again forgetting who had rescued them from all their enemies. There was a need for a new leader, and Abimelech decided that new leader should be him. God had blessed Gideon with 70 sons, and Abimelech saw his siblings as rivals for this leadership opportunity. To make sure none of his brothers rose to the occasion, Abimelech had all of them brought to his father’s hometown of Ophrah, and he killed each one of them on the same large stone. Abimelech had the opportunity to be a HERO, but his greedy pride made him into a MURDEROUS VILLAIN instead.

But Abimelech’s youngest brother, Jotham, escaped and went into hiding. Once the people made Abimelech their king, Jotham climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted these prophetic words:

“Listen to me, citizens of Shechem!
Listen to me if you want God to listen to you!
Once upon a time the trees decided to choose a king.
First they said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’
But the olive tree refused, saying,
‘Should I quit producing the olive oil
that blesses both God and people,
just to wave back and forth over the trees?’” — Judges 9:7a-9

THE OLIVE TREE WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE A KING.

The purpose of the olive tree was to grow olives, which could be made into olive oil. This olive oil was useful to both God and to the people. But if the olive tree became a king, what would produce the much needed olive oil? No, the olive tree was never meant to be a king. Jotham continued with his parable:

“Then they said to the fig tree, ‘You be our king!’
But the fig tree also refused, saying,
‘Should I quit producing my sweet fruit
just to wave back and forth over the trees?’” — Judges 9:10-11

THE FIG TREE WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE A KING.

The fig tree brought much pleasure to God’s people with its sweet fruit. It was valuable and had a significant meaning to those who enjoyed its fruit, but it knew that its purpose in life was not to take the place of the One who had created it, and the grapevine also knew its place.

“Then they said to the grapevine, ‘You be our king!’
But the grapevine also refused, saying,
‘Should I quit producing the wine
that cheers both God and people,
just to wave back and forth over the trees?’” — Judges 9:12-13

THE GRAPEVINE WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE A KING.

“Then all the trees finally turned to the thornbush and said,
‘Come, you be our king!’
And the thornbush replied to the trees,
‘If you truly want to make me your king,
come and take shelter in my shade.
If not, let fire come out from me
and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’” — Judges 9:7-15

THE THORNBUSH WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE A KING, AND YET THAT IS WHAT IT BECAME.

Three years later, King Abimelech heard that there were some in the town of Shechem who were raising their voices in rebellion against his leadership. So Abimelech attacked the city and captured it. With more than 1000 of its leading citizens hiding in a tower, the king and his men gathered branches from the nearby trees and stacked them against the base of the tower. When he set the branches on fire, all of the people hiding in the tower were killed. The thornbush deceived the people with an invitation for shelter, but fire came out from the thornbush king and devoured the people.

Abimelech and his men then went to the tower of Thebez where all of its citizens were hiding, and he began to do the same thing. But once again God used a woman to courageously save the people from their enemy. She stood at the top of the tower and dropped a millstone on the king’s head, crushing his skull. Abimelech died that day, because the thornbush was never meant to be a king.

God, help us to fully submit to your plan for our lives. May we be content to be exactly what you created us to be. Reveal in us any attempts to manipulate or take control in areas where you have not given us authority. Comfort us in our calling and give us contentment in your plan for our lives. You and you alone are King. Amen.

Come, everyone! Clap your hands!
Shout to God with joyful praise!
For the Lord Most High is awesome.
He is the great King of all the earth. – Psalm 47:1-2