Renew Your Confidence

Judges 1-2 and 19  -After Joshua died, the Israelites asked the LORD, "Which tribe should attack the Canaanites first?"  The LORD answered, "Judah, for I have given them victory over the land."

… The LORD was with the people of Judah, and they took possession of the hill country. But they failed to drive out the people living in the plains because the people there had iron chariots.

 

Joshua Died…and God did not appoint another leader. Each tribe had to inquire of the Lord on its own…asking for guidance as they tried to drive out the remaining Canaanites form the Promised Land.  They started out with the right idea…asking God to what to do…and winning many battles…but somewhere along the way…each tribe fell short…and one by one they fail to drive out at least one group of their enemies. 

 

They eventually gave up on the conquests at all… the vision of iron chariots defeating them before they even prayed to God for how to conquer them. They remained a strong people…and were able to make slaves out of some nations...but they did not completely follow God’s commands….and begin to let their fear stop them from claiming God’s promise for their life.

 

The loss of spirituality came slowly…at first clinging to the priest…using the Urim and the Thummim to decide what God’s will must be…and following it promptly.  But somewhere… not completely recorded in these first pages of Judges…the people began to let go of God’s presence.  Maybe they became tired…or they were not disciplined enough to carry through. But at some point they became weak enough for Satan to plant a seed of fear…that prevented them from remembering they had a God who had buried some chariots under gallons of water years before.

 

I resemble the Israelites in this one.  I see a task that looms greater than my talent or confidence...and I let it stop me dead in my tracks.  I see the iron chariot in front of me and cower in the farthest corner I can find….or run from it completely like Jonah.  I let the daily routine of my life tire me to the point that I shorten my time with the one person who can give me the power to overcome the fear…as Satan sits back with his smug expression of victory.

 

Thank God the Lord had someone record these verses in Judges…to remind me that I have a God who parted the red sea….and buried the fear of a nation behind them…so they could be his people and walk in his ways…and tap into his power to have blessing in their lives…and receive the complete blessing he promised in their life. Oh how I need to renew my confidence in God’s provision in my life….just as it says in Hebrews 10:35-36… “ Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you!  Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”

 

Father…I thank you for this reminder that you are more powerful than any iron chariot that appears in my pathway.  Help me to renew my confidence in you…and pray for your guidance when it appears to overcome me.  Help me to stop letting Satan influence me…to make excuses for my weaknesses…and show me how to boldly ask you to work miracles with your power instead. Show me father how to remove fear from my heart…and replace it with the confidence your son had as he walked this Earth in ministry…and freely gave his life to save me from all my sins. Amen.