Judges 21:23 - The people went to Bethel, where they
sat before God until evening, raising their voices and weeping bitterly. “Lord,
God of Israel,” they cried, “why has this happened to Israel? Why should one
tribe be missing from Israel today?”
The chapter of judges ends with a story of bittersweet
solutions. The 11 tribes who had had been so harsh on the tribe of Benjamin…fretted
because the vow they made to not give their daughters in marriage….set up the
distinction of one of the 12 tribes. Instead of just asking God to forgive them
for their unthought out vow…they created even more drama…. that led to the
killing of more of their people and the kidnapping of some of their daughters.
The biggest reason for their problem was their own failure
to let God be in control of their life. Sure…they gathered at the temple to
seek his guidance….but they still did whatever they thought was best. Nowhere
in this story does it say ... “and God told them to.” I was convicted of my own
guilt as soon as I wrote the words. Just because I ask God what to do…doesn’t
mean I always waited to follow his advice before going out to solve the
problem.
Psalm 27:14 says… “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take
heart and wait for the LORD.” Psalm
46:10 says, “Cease striving and know that I am God.” These two verses together
remind me not to be in a hurry to solve the problems in my life. Whether they be made by my own bad choices…or
just happen because God allows a little hardship into my daily struggle…I need
to wait on him to tell me how to handle it…and not step out ahead of him in
human impatience and pride.
Father…thank you for the reminder that you know and have a
plan for every struggle that you allow in my life. Forgive me for the many
times that I have stepped ahead of you…or forgotten that your plan is not
always what I would think of for myself. Help me to remember that when I come
to you for advice…I need to listen as long as it takes for you to speak your wisdom
into my heart and mind. Amen.
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