God Works All To The Good Of Those That Love Him

Judges 14:3-4 - His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” (His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)

Samson had his eye on a wife…but his parents did not approve of the Philistine woman. They wanted him to embrace the holy calling on his life and marry a woman of Israelite descent. But Samson was set on this woman that pleased his eye…and insisted they do what he wanted. It’s the next bit of the verse that catches my attention the most though…the part where God was planning to use his seemingly bad choice to begin a move against these people that held the Israelites captive.

It is a very clear example of how God uses all our choices…good or bad to his good and glory.  It is a reminder that sometimes God allows our flesh to make choices that he knows he can use for good at some point in our life. Romans 8:28 is the New Testament promise that confirms it.  It says… ^“ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Truth is…we are all born with a purpose. Some of us invite God into our hearts and embrace it…others live their whole life without ever knowing what wonderful thing he had planned for us. I admit that even though I know God…and try my best some days to get it right… I am still weak like Sampson…messing up more than I get it right.

I needed the reminder this morning… that even when I mess up…God can use my mistake to work some good in the world. I may not always understand it…but the promise of this great fact encourages me to repent quicker… forgive myself when I realize what I have done…so his grace and mercy can take over and give my mess up purpose in his bigger plan.

Father...thank you for the reminder that you love me even when I mess up.  Forgive me for the times that I forget that you are able to use even the choices I make with my weak flesh to your good.  Help me to realize this promise with each sin you convict me of…so that you can begin to work it to the good of all that love you sooner.  Amen.

Let Thanksgiving Occur Every Day...Every Moment

Judges 13:18-20 - He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.” Then Manoah took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the Lord. And the Lord did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched:  As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground.

This story in Judges is just one example of God’s ability to do supernatural things.  This couple…who were barren for whatever reason…was first blessed with a visit from an angel.  God was blessing them with their hearts desire…but they needed to prepare him from conception to be one of God’s special servants. This child would grow up a Nazarite….a person consecrated to God for special service.  They abstained from drinking alcohol in any form…ever cutting their hair…and avoiding situations that might defile their holiness…like being around dead things.

This supernatural visit ended with a rare sight.  This man...who appeared to give them the news…wasn’t any ordinary man.  They got to watch him rise to heaven within the flame of the burnt offering they offered… to thank God for his great gift. They were so full of gratitude…praise and so overcome with humility that they fell to their knees at the sight.

I can’t say that I have ever experienced such a sight…or felt the deep gratitude that they did. I needed the reminder that God’s good gifts should bring us to our knees occasionally in humble adoration and thankfulness. I am so guilty of taking all that God has done for me for granted…allowing a simple whispering of praise suffice …justifying my weak praise with earthly excuses that must disappoint God very much.

We took the time yesterday to celebrate a day  called Thanksgiving….but as the sun rises on what is traditionally black Friday…people have already let the world trap them in the commercial season of Christmas. Decorations have donned the isles of stores since early October…but today will set new records of spending all over the world. I for one have never liked fighting the crowd to shop on this day….I choose to change out my fall decorations and put up my Christmas tree instead.

This story reminds me to take more moments out of my day to thank God for all I already have…to extend my Thanksgiving of turkey…family fellowship…and extra thoughts of praise for the God who allows it …into a full year of praise for what he has done.  Perhaps I will get to witness one of his rare supernatural events…and feel the fullness of heart that these two parents felt with their precious gift of life.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you deserve our praise and thanksgiving every day….every moment.  Forgive me for the times that I have allowed the world to trap me in its mad cycle of wants and spending on things that do not last. Help me to fill my heart with thoughts of you….with your word…with service in your kingdom…so more people can join me when we all rise to meet you in heaven someday.  Bring me to my knees more often…and teach me how to show the deepest gratitude and praise these two parents showed for the promise of a child in their life.  Amen.

Guard Your heart Against Pride And Envy

Judges 12:1-3 - The Ephraimite forces were called out, and they crossed over to Zaphon. They said to Jephthah, “Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We’re going to burn down your house over your head.” Jephthah answered, “I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn’t save me out of their hands.

The men of Ephraim told Jephthah that they were upset with him for not calling them to help him fight the Ammonites.  Although what they really were upset about was the fact that Jephthah had been handed a glorious victory…which they would receive no credit for. They were so eaten up by envy and pride that they threatened to burn his house down.

Jephthah was protected by God as they crossed the Jordan to hurt him... being given the support of the Gealeadites …who knew the dialect limitations of the Ephraimites. They killed each one that tried to cross and cause Jephthah harm… so he could continue as judge for the Israelites for 6 years.

It is a great reminder to me of how important it is to guard your heart and mind from self-driven pride and envy. They creep into your heart and puff up your mind to believe that it is better than others…that it deserves more than it is given…that life is more about satisfying selfish needs instead of walking in God’s pure and perfect will.

God teaches the opposite…that humility leads to a deeper understanding of what God created us as creatures in his likeness. Humility teaches our heat and mind that the less we think of our own worth… the more God can use us to further his kingdom. Paul says it better than I in 2 Corinthians 12:9.. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.” Paul using the very worlds of Christ… who defeated satan and claimed victory over death.

I admit that pride is one of the hardest things to conquer in an earthly life. I have struggled with it for my entire 58 years.  The world…the time God even allows us to live in…the sinful nature of man naturally gravitates to puff themselves up…to collect things…..to think that the more we have the more blessed we are. I needed a new reminder to rely on God for everything…and give him credit for everything…so he can begin to instill in me his love that is totally driven by giving to others.

Father…thank you for the reminder that pride and envy are not part of your plan for me.  Forgive me for the times that I have allowed the world….the situation I am in…or the people around me to trick me into thinking better of myself than I deserve.  Help me to constantly fight against any form of pride and envy from setting up even a temporary residence in my heart.  Help me to stay so focused and centered on you that I hear your will before the world has a chance to whisper any other options in my ear.  Amen.

God Uses Anyone...Despite Their Circumstances

Judges 11:30-31- And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”

Even though Jephthah was born of a harlot….and persecuted by his brothers…even sent away to receive no inheritance….God had his hand on this man.  He managed to rise above the circumstances of his birth and become something mighty…that God used to win many battles over the lands that tried to keep Israel captive.

It is a great reminder to me that we are not limited by any worldly circumstance. God can and does use anyone he chooses…and he chooses all of us to do his work. There was also Rahab…a prostitute by choice…who saved the spies… God saving her and her family to do more of his work later. There are countless other examples of good people who let sin consume them so much they fell badly into their sin like King David.  Once God convicted him of that sin…and David repented…God used him in mighty ways to speak his message of truth and love.

It proves the words of Luke 1:37… “ For nothing is impossible with God”…to be absolutely true.  God can take the heart of anyone who want to get to know him…and make them into a great servant….the built in humility of their past driving them to be less prideful than others... who tend to boast to much about the things we have never done.  We are all born in sin. As Romans 3:23 says…”for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  It is God’s grace that saves us…not anything we do of ourselves.

I needed the reminder not to let satan convince me that anything I have done in the past can limit the power that God can place within me to be something great for him today. I am as strong as God can make me…not as weak as satan tries to convince me I am.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you use all people…because your love covers the multitude of sins that break the perfect creature you intended for us to be into a prideful… self-driven transgressors. Forgive me for all the times that I have let satan trick me into staying too long in his worldly trap.  Help me to spend so much time in your presence that I recognize your perfect will for me as soon as you reveal it.  Amen.

With God There Is Always Hope

Judges 10:15-16 -  But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.”  Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer.

The Israelites had cycled back into their rebellious mode once again….so God allowed them to reap the natural consequences of their choices.  The Philistines and the Ammonites were allowed to oppress them without restraint…until the Israelites misery caused them to realize their mistake….and realize that God was their only salvation.

God had been watching them the whole time…and he knew they would eventually cry out…but his anger was pretty intense this time.  God even told them the first time they cried out not to bother calling on him…to try and see if the gods they had been worshiping could help them.

It was their persistent pleading… the admission of sin…and the hearts that changed their behaviors back to what God had asked them from the start that melted God’s heart. He could no longer watch this people he loved in misery…especially since he could feel how very much they were sorry. He granted them mercy once again…and restored them back to a right relationship with him.

What a great reminder of the hope we have with God. Matthew Henry put my feelings into perfect sense as I read this excerpt from his commentary.  He said… “There is always hope when you cry out to God, especially when you lament your ungodliness and transgressions. True repentance begins to turn away from these actions and submit one’s self to God’s justice.

I admit that telling God to do whatever he seems best is more than hard. Those words will certainly be followed with a hard life lesson to teach us how to deepen our relationship with him. I know in my own life that using those words in a prayer began a process of refining my hurt … my hang up if you will...into something that he could use to help others heal and recovery from the same hurt. I am learning that it was never about me… but about furthering his kingdom so others could be healed as well.

Father….thank you for the reminder that I always have hope in you….and if I stay out of the way…you can teach me how to live my life closer to you than I ever dreamed possible. Forgive me for the times that I ran from you…letting the world dictate my feelings and actions.   Help me today to recommit my heart and actions to you…so that you can refine me into a vessel of hope and love to others.  Amen.

A Time For Comfort ..AND..A Time To Speak Out

Judges 9:7 -  When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.

Jotham had escaped from being the 71^st victim of the evil mind of Abimelech. All of his other brothers were unfairly murdered so that Abimelech could be king. Jotham came out of hiding to stand on a tall mountain …to shout to the people who had been tricked by the new king how crazy they were to allow it.

It must have been hard for Jotham to even come out of hiding…let alone position himself so that the whole town was drawn to come listen to him.  He chose to make his first points with a story… then explained the meaning to each one that would listen.

I am reminded by his wisdom to hide that there is a time to be quite and retreat to God for guidance and direction. I am also reminded that sometimes God ends our retreat of time with him with a call to speak out against the acts around us we know are not done with the love of God.

I admit that it is hard to know the difference sometimes.  I am very guilty of retreating way too long sometimes… even though I know that God is in control…I let fear hold me back from standing on that mountain and speaking to those that would listen. I needed the reminder to stay so connected with God that the world is not able to influence me too easily…so that when it is time to move and speak out for God’s way of pure love…I will be ready...excited…as soon as he gives the order.

Father…thank you for the reminder that you are always there for me to run to for comfort and protection. Forgive me for the times that I let my heart take advantage of the feeling of warmth and love your presence provides by keeping it all to myself.  Help me to listen better to the calling of your spirit to speak out and share your love.  amen.