Sunday, March 21, 2010
March 21 ... Judges 8 - 9 "Forgot about God"
Judges 8:34 - "The People of Israel forgot all about God , their God, who had saved them from all their enemies who had hemmed them in." Amazing. My first two decades of walking with God, I think that I forgot about Him way more than I would admit whether it was good times or bad times. Was I afraid of losing the good Christian life more than losing an intimate relationship with God? I think I did believe that the good Chrisitan life was my greatest good. "Only when people look deeply into themselves will they truly repent." 66 LL. Four years ago, I began looking way more deeply into the fray of my heart rather than blaming my world for all that happened to me. My story no longer defined me. My heart was exposed for my repentance had been so shallow. I could go through a day forgetting about my God Who had rescued me again and again and saved me from multiple enemies that hemmed me in. No more! I can't help but think about Him and long to be the woman He has created me to be and look deeply withn. "This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the Glorious Day." Titus 2:13. Every moment offers a brand new start, brand new mercies.
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I realize how hard it is to stay connected to God. It was difficult in the days of the judges, and it's difficult today. Our hearts and the culture draw us away from God, sometimes subtly, sometimes not so subtly.
ReplyDeleteI have been very guilty of looking at circumstances more than at myself and what's going on in my heart. It's been easier to focus on others than on my unholiness.
These past six months have been very difficult in many ways. But in other, more important ways, they've been the best months in terms of my relationship with God. Circumstances have been hard, but it's been amazing to see Him deconstructing and dismantling much about my Christian life. The things I did, the things I felt like I had to do. It's been remarkably freeing. I'm seeing all of my sin, rather than everyone else's sin.
It's been an Isaiah 43:18-19 experience for me: "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."
But I have a new perspective on the desert and the wilderness. It's not my circumstances. It's my heart!
Like Bev, I long to be the woman God created me to be. I trust that these are the situations that He is using to draw me to Himself, so I will not complain. This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!
Off to get ready for church...enjoy your day, ladies!
Judges 9:
ReplyDelete56-57 "God avenged the evil Abimelech had done to his father, murdering his seventy brothers. And God brought down on the heads of the men of Shechem all the evil that they had done, the curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal."
Interesting that a millstone thrown down by a woman killed Abimelech.
Gideon, who is Jerub-baal, had 70 sons. Plus this one son, Abimelech, by his concubine.
For being the "runt" of his family, he sure had a lot of sons!
As I read through Abimelech's horrific slaughter of his half-brothers, all but one, I thought of the mothers who were left with their dead bodies. How many wives birthed these 70 sons? I don't know. Nine months of pregnancy, years of mothering, days of nursing through sicknesses, pregnancy after pregnancy...my goodness, but 70 sons is a lot of babies nursing at a mother's breast.
And then, in one moment, all of those sons were slaughtered and it sounded to me like they were beheaded on one stone.
I kept thinking what a sad end to Gideon's line. One son murdered 69 half-brothers, one other son escaped and in hiding.
And a woman killed this murdering, evil, jealous, son of Gideon...Abimelech. And He KNEW she had mortally wounded him.
Much fighting was taking place, but God was in the avenging of Gideon's sons deaths.
Once again, God chose a woman to defeat the enemy. As in the story of the battle led by Barak. Jael put the tent nail through the temple of the enemy.
I don't glory in the use of a woman, I glory in the fact that God is the Victor in our lives! He uses whomever or whatever to accomplish His will. No matter how strong the enemy may appear, God is the Victor.
I too find it difficult at times to stay connected with the Lord. I seem to find myself in that state when my schedule and "to-do" lists get so full that I do not know which direction I'm heading in. Yet, I find taking the first hour of the day to focus on God has truly helped me develop a more intimate relationship. Its still a struggle, but I am encouraged in your insights today.
ReplyDeleteA lesson I learned through our reading today was on leadership and pride. When Ephraim's leaders felt left out because Gideon had not called them to join the battle, Gideon reassured them that their accomplishment was even greater than his own clan's accomplishment. This diplomatic explanation pointed out that not every job is highly visible leadership pole.
As I thought through these verses, I realized pride causes us to want recognition. And to ask myself Am I content to be God's bricklaer, or do I resent the work God has given me?
Have a great Sunday ladies.....looking forward to the week ahead and being in the Word with you all.
Love Ya, Kim
Kim - "am I content to be God's brick layer." whoa!!! that so speaks to me right where I am...
ReplyDeleteCici - your words are so inviting, so intriguing to me. We all share the battle of the flesh. Praying for you Luke 24:45. God is so moving in your heart and life, so obvious. Your humility strikes me. To this one I look---the one who is humble and trembles at His word. Isa 66:2, I think. love you...
ReplyDeleteDeborah, your ability to get into the life of the passage is astounding to me. You speak what people think and feel and know in their hearts. You have such a gift to be able to do that. Thinking about the moms birthing and raising 70 sons is overwhelming. You always bring us back to our Victor! You are a jewel!
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