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.