Crying For Help!

Reading:  Judges 6
My Verse: “And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the Israelites cried to The Lord" (6:6).

This book of Judges used to seem like a broken record to me.  Over and over the Israelites would stray from following You, LORD God.  Then when their situation got desperate, they would cry out to You for help!

I realize now how this is a picture of so many of us.  We want to go our own way, and yet when the going gets really tough we find ourselves crying to You for help!  How our fickleness must break your heart.

And yet when the Israelites "cried to the LORD" You did answer them.  You did help them.  The fact that they had done this so many times before did not stop You responding to their need when they truly cried out to You.

This a such a good lesson for us.  For that is something You do promise us throughout Your  Word.  You will hear our heartfelt cry to You for help. And You will respond because You love us and want nothing more than to lift us up.

"I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill" (Psalm 3:4).

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears" (psalm 34:4).

"In the day of my trouble I will call upon You: for You will answer me" (Psalm 86:7).

"He will be very gracious to you at the voice of your cry; when He shall hear it, He will answer you" (Isaiah 30:19).

"And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24).

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved" (Romans 10:13).
 
Oh, what a wonderful promise!  We can call on You, no matter how often we fall, or how awful we have been.  If we are sincere, You will answer our cry for help.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!

Reluctant Disciples!

Reading: Judges 4, 5
My Verse:  "“Why [Reuben] did you linger among the sheepfolds listening to the piping for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.
 Gilead remained beyond the Jordan, and why did Dan stay with the ships? Asher sat still on the seacoast and remained by his creeks. [These came not forth to battle for God’s people]" (5:16, 17).

This is a fascinating historical period of the Israelites, especially when Deborah, the prophetess and wife of Lappidoth was the Judge of Israel.  Here she reprimands several of the tribes for not stepping up to help defeat the enemy.  Previously she reprimanded Barak for being reluctant to go on a mission without her.  She told him someone else, in fact a woman, would get the praise and glory for the victory, not him because of his reluctance.

Too often we drag our feet when it comes to doing the right thing, especially if it doesn't seem to fit our timetable or requires more of us than we are willing to give.  As a result we miss Your  blessings, LORD God!

Jonah comes to mind here, he did not want to do the job of warning the  city of Ninevah of Your judgement.  If  they did not repent You were going to destroy them.  In this case, LORD God You would not let Job shirk his duty.  You gave him some amazing  challenges to get him turned around, including being swallowed by a big fish!  In this story I like that You were persistent with him.  Thank You for this example of how You don't give up on us easily.

Another example is Peter when he denied You three times after You were taken by the Pharisees to be crucified.  In this case Peter was all bravado and said many things but like so many of us did not follow through on what he said.  Instead when it came right down to the nitty gritty, he buckled.  And yet, here too You did not give up on him.  Peter ended up becoming one of the great disciples.  In the end he died for you.

And yet  so many do not come around like the tribes Deborah reprimanded.  Too many of us are reluctant disciples.  We are too selfish,  not wanting to allow You to work in and  through us, leading us to the richer life You would have us to live.  We choose lives that are are shallow and unfulfilling, but it need not be that way.

"Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people)" (Ephesians 5:15).

“Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is" (Ephesians 5:17).

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!