My wife and I were having our Bible study today, which graciously brought us deep into the book of Judges.
If you’ve ever read Judges, you know the overall journey can be a bit debilitating to the spirit… and it might just make you question the overall sanity of humans.
Insanity means (literally), “doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result.” And that’s exactly what the people of Israel do throughout the book of Judges…
Over… and over… and over again…
This is what the cycle looks like: The children of Israel fall away from God, the Lord allows them to be put under the rule of wicked people, the children of Israel cry out to the Lord, and He brings up a ‘judge’ to deliver them.
Once they are delivered, they turn away from God again, and the cycle repeats itself… Does this sound familiar?
It sounds a bit like the story of my life. After all, the children of Israel were human beings… just like me.
What about you?
Have you ever cried out to God for deliverance and He came to the rescue. Not only did He deliver you from sin, but the Lord blessed you like the prodigal son?
For a while, you praised Him. You looked at where you came from and you glorified His name for all He had done for you. You started reaching out to others and witnessing to them (as we are called to do), going outside of your comfort zone to do the work of Christ…
But… after a while… you started getting comfortable. You stopped praising God for all He had done and started becoming distracted by worldly things.
Maybe it was a romantic relationship with an unbeliever… or maybe you got bored and developed a bad habit. Maybe, you started loving things more than you loved the One who gave them to you…
Whatever it was that distracted you from your purpose, that thing is what started your fall. The moment it became more important to you than your God… the moment that you compromised your walk with Him for a little more time with it… you were in deep trouble.
It didn’t happen instantly. It almost never does. Instead, it is a slippery slope we fall down until, before we realize it, we’re no longer living for God. We are no longer seeking Him, and therefore, we are no longer finding Him.
It is there, at the bottom of our barrel, that we find the undying truth of our existence:
We can’t be satisfied without the presence of our Creator, because He who created is He who designed the method by which the creation is able to obtain satisfaction.
We can not alter or extract our innate design from ourselves – therefore, we must come to the acceptance that, to find joy, we must yield to the will of the Creator. We must journey on the path that brings joy, freedom, and peace; and that path – is the following of Jesus Christ.
It is the only route shrouded with the presence of our Creator. He takes us beneath His great wings, and we make Him our refuge, our Fortress, and our Deliverer.
No man finds true satisfaction except within His presence, because His intention has always been to be in unity with us. We are His beloved creation, and we are intended to be with Him.
Sin is what separated us from God before the cross, but through faith in Christ, we now have redemption through His blood. Therefore, we have access to the very throne of God; to approach with reverence, gratefulness, and boldness, at the holy feet of Jesus.
He loved us so much that He humbled Himself. He didn’t think it too high a price to pay to come to this earth and be beaten, humiliated, slain by sinners, and to descend to the pit of hell itself.
He did not think it too much a price… to suffer for you… and to die for me.
He loved us that much.
Now, can I ask you a question? Would a Creator that loved you that much create you without a purpose? Would He leave you in the dark without a way out?
Though you may face trials, the Lord will always provide you a way of escape! (1 Corinthians 10:13)
He will never leave you.
“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; Indeed the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.”
-Psalm 139:7-12
So… turn away from anything that is not good… lay your eyes upon the Lord… get up and follow Him.
Pray with me:
“Dear Lord, I pray You would not allow me to fall into the hands of the enemy. I pray that You would deliver me by Your grace from anything that is holding me back from the riches of Your blessing.
Search my heart. Show me anything that is unfitting to Your purpose for my life. Then, help me to tear it down. Whether it is an idol I have put before You in my life, or an addiction that I can’t break – give Your servant victory over the enemy today!
And Lord, let me not forget what You have done, that all the work is ALREADY completed in You… and that you finished it on the cross.
When I struggle, remind me that Your grace is sufficient for me. Deliver me from shame, and place within me a righteous heart that pleases You.
I render myself up, a holy and living sacrifice to You, Lord. You are my Rock. You are my Everlasting Refuge. You are the Wings that lift me above the torment. You are the Peace that fills my spirit.
You are the Joy I feel in the tempest. You are my Anchor in the storm. You are my Island when I’m lost at sea. You are my Oasis when I’m stranded in the desert.
You are my Strength… You are the One True Everlasting God…
…And the God of my life…
In Jesus name…
Amen.”
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