Category: Judges Devotionals

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Judges Devotionals

Self-centered? God-centered?

Who has your heart?

As I’ve been reflecting on the life of Samson the past few days, two things stick out to me.

First and foremost, his whole life was self-centered. Even when he did things beneficial to the Israelites, defeating their enemies, it was totally incidental. It wasn’t his desire to deliver his people. It seems his desires were motivated purely by revenge.

Second, his relationship with God was practically non-existent. The only time he interacted with God was to ask him for help.

You never see him building altars. You never see him worshiping. You never see him giving thanks to God for his victories, or for anything else for that matter.

God did use him to bring some measure of relief to the Israelites from the Philistines.

But you never see him leading anyone. The only interaction you see him having with his own people ends with them handing him over to his enemies. (Judges 15:11-13)

He most certainly led no one to follow God.

He, like everyone else at the time, did only what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 14:17; 17:6)

I don’t want to be that way. I want my heart to be God’s, inspiring others to follow him.

How about you?

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Judges Devotionals Psalms Devotionals 2

Living with integrity

Prayer

Every morning, I read the psalms along with my daily Bible readings.

By chance, Psalm 26 was my psalm for the day. And I couldn’t help but notice the difference between King David’s attitude and Samson’s in Judges 14.

Imagine how different Samson’s life would have been had he prayed and lived David’s words.

Vindicate me, LORD,
because I have lived with integrity
and have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

Test me, LORD, and try me;
examine my heart and mind.

For your faithful love guides me,
and I live by your truth.

I do not sit with the worthless
or associate with hypocrites.
I hate a crowd of evildoers,
and I do not sit with the wicked.

I wash my hands in innocence
and go around your altar, LORD,
raising my voice in thanksgiving
and telling about your wondrous works. (Psalm 26:1-7)

I want to pray and live David’s words.

How about you?

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Judges Devotionals

Our true light

True light

…you will conceive and give birth to a son..and he will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines. (Judges 13:5)

Samson’s name meant “little sun.” But he was only a dim reflection of the Light that was to come.

Samson began to save his people, but because of his many flaws, he never truly completed the job.

Israel’s true light was yet to come. (John 1:9)

But 2000 years ago, another angel appeared to a man named Joseph and said,

[Mary] will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)

That’s what I’m thanking God for today. Our Light has come!

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD shines over you. (Isaiah 60:1)

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Judges Devotionals

Faithless heart

repentance

Israel was greatly oppressed, so they cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against you. We have abandoned our God and worshiped the Baals…Deal with us as you see fit; only rescue us today! ”

So they got rid of the foreign gods among them and worshiped the LORD, and he became weary of Israel’s misery. (Judges 10:9-10, 15-16)

I was wondering today just how sincere the Israelites’ repentance was. At a guess, not very.

And God clearly knew that.

Yet ultimately, he showed them mercy.

The amazing thing is that God hadn’t allowed them to be destroyed long before. But as he would tell them later through the prophet Malachi,

Because I, the LORD, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed. (Malachi 3:6)

That’s comforting to me. Though God knows my faithlessness, he remains faithful.

That said, I don’t want to be like the Israelites. I want to be as faithful to God as he is to me.

Father, please cure my faithless heart.

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Judges Devotionals

Waiting for justice

Waiting for justice

In this way, God brought back Abimelech’s evil—the evil that Abimelech had done to his father when he killed his seventy brothers. God also brought back to the men of Shechem all their evil.

So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them. (Judges 9:56-57)

Judges is a pretty dark book, and we see it here.

But the encouraging thing to me is that God does ultimately bring about justice. Sometimes, he brings it about himself. Sometimes, as in this case, he lets evil consume itself.

But he does bring about justice.

That’s my hope in a pretty dark world with all that’s going on in Ukraine and Gaza.

Even if all the people responsible escape justice here on earth, they will not escape it when they stand before God’s throne.

The question is, do we believe it? Do we believe God is still good, with all that’s happening in the world? Do we believe he will bring about justice?

I choose to believe.

How about you?

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Judges Devotionals

When we forget

Never forget the cross

When Gideon died, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves by worshiping the Baals and made Baal-berith their god.

The Israelites did not remember the Lord their God who had rescued them from the hand of the enemies around them. (Judges 8:33-34)

Those verses epitomize the problem with the Israelites in the book of Judges: they so quickly forgot God’s grace and mercy to them.

For that matter, they didn’t seem to realize where their blessings came from in the first place, giving credit to Gideon for their salvation. (22)

The result? No heart of love and gratitude to the God who saved them.

It’s so easy to lose our first love for God when we forget the love and grace he has shown us, when we lose our gratitude and joy for all he has done for us.

Father, let me never forget or take for granted the love and grace you have shown me.

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Bible Original Judges Devotionals

What’s important

I am with you

The LORD is with you, valiant warrior.” (Judges 6:12)

Lord, let me not be a spiritual wimp, but a valiant warrior for you.

What’s important is not how strong I am or what my pedigree is.

What’s important is that you’re with me.

And you’re sending me into spiritual battle to set those I love free from the Enemy.

I am not competent in myself to accomplish anything. You make me competent. (2 Corinthians 3:5)

And your strength is made perfect in my weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

So help me to remember what’s important and run to the battle.

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Judges Devotionals

No regrets

Regrets

There was great searching of heart among the clans of Reuben. Why did you sit among the sheep pens listening to the playing of pipes for the flocks?

There was great searching of heart among the clans of Reuben. Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger at the ships? Asher remained at the seashore and stayed in his harbors. (Judges 5:15-17)

Father, may I have no regrets when I look back upon my life.

Regrets because I just sat, content with my own life, while people around me were being oppressed by the Enemy.

Regrets because I lingered, and remained where I was, while people were in spiritual need.

Give me your heart. A heart that cares. And a heart that will fight the Enemy that is destroying people’s lives.

Give me a heart that is passionate for you and for those for whom your Son died. In Jesus’ name amen.

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Judges Devotionals

Hasn’t the Lord gone before you?

Deborah

Then Deborah said to Barak, “Go! This is the day the Lord has handed Sisera over to you. Hasn’t the Lord gone before you?” (Judges 4:14)

Just thinking on those words today: “Hasn’t the Lord gone before you?”

God never tells me to go somewhere where he’s not leading the way. And the longer I live, the more I see that in my life.

Sometimes taking steps of faith is scary. It was scary for Barak. It’s scary for me.

But as I think on Deborah’s words, my prayer is this:

Father, you have proven to me that you are good. You’ve proven that you always go before me. So help me to keep taking steps of faith forward, following you. And lead on.

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Judges Devotionals

Who does our heart belong to?

Judges

“How can you say, ‘I love you,’ ” she told him, “when your heart is not with me?” (Judges 16:15)

Lots of irony in those words since Delilah’s heart was clearly not with Samson. Whatever love she may have had for him was clearly diluted by her love for money.

The same could be said for Samson’s love for Delilah, and for that matter, God.

And ultimately, that was Samson’s biggest problem: his diluted love for God. His heart never truly belonged to God.

I’d like to think he truly repented at the end. Did he? I don’t know. It seems that revenge was still at the top of his mind rather than the welfare of Israel.

He “judged” Israel. But he never truly cared for the sheep God had raised him up to care for. And I think his people sensed that. They certainly didn’t consider him someone they wanted to follow. (Judges 15:11-12)

How about us? Do our hearts truly belong to God? And do we truly love the people God has placed into our lives? (Matthew 22:36-40)

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Judges Devotionals

Right in whose eyes?

crossroad

But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.” (Judges 14:3, ESV)

Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson’s eyes. (7, ESV)

In those two verses, we see the problem not only with Samson, but with all the Israelites in that time.

Many times, they did what was evil in the eyes of God. (Judges 2:11, 3:7, 4:1, 6:1, 10:6, 13:1)

But in their own eyes, they were simply doing what seemed right to them. (Judges 17:6, 21:25)

Samson took God’s words concerning Nazirites far too lightly, touching the dead lion (Numbers 6:6-7) and joining in what was essentially a weekｰlong drinking party. (Numbers 6:3-4)

As we’ll see later, those wouldn’t be the only Nazirite rules he would break either.

More, he sought to marry an idol-worshiper, something God strictly forbade the Israelites to do (Deuteronomy 7:3-4).

Why did he do all this?

Perhaps he thought God’s commands were stupid and meaningless.

Perhaps he thought he was the exception.

Perhaps he simply thought he knew better than God.

The thing was, God did use Samson’s bad choices for His purposes. (4)

But despite this, Samson reaped pain, being betrayed by the woman he married, and eventually losing her.

And eventually he would find more pain and hardship because he turned away from God’s way and did what seemed right to him.

How often do we think we know better than God?

In our choice of boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife?

In our career?

In dealing with our problems?

In our moral choices?

Sometimes, our choices will seem to work out. Sometimes, we’ll even see God using us.

But ultimately, like Samson, we will reap pain for those choices.

But if we’ll do things God’s way, we’ll learn his way is truly best.

And we will find joy.

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Judges Devotionals

Living by God’s grace

Judges

“We’re certainly going to die,” he said to his wife, “because we have seen God!”

But his wife said to him, “If the Lord had intended to kill us, he wouldn’t have accepted the burnt offering and the grain offering from us, and he would not have shown us all these things or spoken to us like this.” (Judges 13:22-23)

Every day, we live by God’s grace. We actually deserve to die because of our sin. But because of God’s grace, he speaks to us, he shows us his plans for us in his word, and even accepts offerings from our imperfect hands.

It’s so easy to take God’s grace for granted. But take the time to meditate on his grace today, and think about just how amazing it really is.

Lord, your name is wonderful, beyond our comprehension. Your grace and your mercy to us our new every morning.

Now by your grace, fill us with your Spirit. Bless us, and stir our hearts to do your will this day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Judges Devotionals

Following our Shepherd’s example

Judges

The Ephraimites were definitely arrogant hotheads. We saw this already in chapter 8.

And arrogant hotheads can say stupid, hurtful things. We can’t control their actions.

But we can control our responses.

How should we respond? By following our Shepherd’s example. Peter wrote,

But when you do what is good and suffer, if you endure it, this brings favor with God.

For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

He did not commit sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth; when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:20-23)

Like Jephthah, Jesus did good, and yet suffered threats and accusations.

But unlike Jephthah, who in his anger destroyed his enemies, Jesus didn’t sin in his response. Instead, he entrusted himself to his heavenly Father, going to the cross, praying for his enemies, and purchasing our salvation. (1 Peter 2:24)

We were like sheep going astray, but by his grace our Shepherd brought us back (1 Peter 2:25). Let us strive to do the same with those who hurt us.

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Judges Devotionals

To whom are you offering yourself to?

Judges

Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey—either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? (Romans 6:16)

As I read today’s story, I thought about these words from Paul. The Israelites offered themselves to the gods of the nations, including the gods of the Ammonites and the Philistines.

Why? We don’t know. But perhaps they thought they would find freedom and happiness in doing so. But instead, they found bondage and misery to the Ammonites and Philistines.

We may think they were foolish. But how often do we abandon God and his ways? Rather, we pursue this world’s gods of success, sex, money, and things. We think by doing so, we’ll find freedom and happiness.

But then we find out that the things that promised us freedom and happiness actually end up enslaving us and destroying us. Instead of joy and life, we find shame, misery, and ultimately death.

So let us heed the words of Paul.

For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification…

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (19, 23)

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Judges Devotionals

The gentleness and humility of wisdom

Judges

Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness (humility, NIV) that comes from wisdom. (James 3:13)

I couldn’t help think but think of those words (and all of James 3) as I read this passage.

True wisdom in a teacher or a leader of any sort is shown by that person’s gentleness and humility, both in their actions and their words.

Gideon showed great gentleness and humility with the Ephraimites (Judges 8:1-3).

But as for the rest of the chapter, not so much.

Instead he was wrapped up with desires of revenge for how people had treated him (4-17) and how they had treated his family (18-21).

Gideon also got caught up in his own selfish ambition (22-32).

Even in rejecting the Israelites request that he become their king, he acted like one, asking for the people’s gold, and taking on many wives like the kings of the times.

And despite his pious words of God being king and Israel serving him, he made an ephod (Exodus 28:3-8) for himself, and basically set up his own place of worship with himself as a priest. As a result, he turned many people away the Lord.  (27).

As James said,

Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. (James 3:15)

Gideon was a spring from which both fresh and salt water flowed through his actions as well as his words. (James 3:11)

May we not be that way. As leaders in our families, at work, at church, or whatever position of leadership we may hold, let us be marked by the humility and gentleness that comes from wisdom. What does that look like?

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace. (James 3:17-18)

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Judges Devotionals

Yahweh-shalom

Judges

Lord, you are Yahweh-shalom.

I am not worthy to stand before you and see your face. I deserve to die because of my sin.

But you look at me in love, and say, “Peace to you. Don’t be afraid. You will not die. You will live. Now go. I am sending you. I will be with you. You have peace with me. Now bring my peace to those who are oppressed by the Enemy.”

Like Gideon, I am weak. I am nothing. But you delight to use what is insignificant and despised in the world—what is viewed as nothing to bring about your salvation. (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

So, Yahweh-shalom, here am I. Send me.

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Judges Devotionals

Losing that which we cannot possibly keep

Judges

A missionary named Jim Elliot once wrote, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Sadly, Samson was a man who gave up what God had intended for him to gain what he couldn’t possibly keep.

Samson was a Nazirite, a person dedicated to God, and in Samson’s case, for life. With that came God’s blessing and leading. (Judges 13:23-24)

But in this passage, he sought a woman forbidden by the law of Moses.

God used Samson’s action to accomplish His own purposes and begin saving His people from the Philistines. But at the end of the day, Samson gained nothing, losing the woman he had sought.

How often, I wonder, does God accomplish his goals through me, and yet I gain nothing because my heart is wrong before him.

Instead of seeking Him and His kingdom, I seek what I cannot keep, whether it’s the things of this world, the praise of people, the pride of life, or whatever it may be?

Lord, let me be as Jim Elliot, not Samson. Let me give up what I cannot keep, to gain what I cannot lose.

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Judges Devotionals

Imperfect savior. Perfect Savior

Judges

As I read the story of Samson at Christmas time, I can’t help but notice the similarities in the announcements of Samson’s birth, and Jesus’.

You will conceive and give birth to a son…he will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines. (Judges 13:3, 5)

You will conceive and give birth to as son, and you will name him Jesus. (Luke 1:31)

She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)

There are two huge differences, of course, between Jesus and Samson.

First, the scope of the salvation they were to bring. Samson saved the Israelites from the Philistines, while Jesus saved us from our sins.

More importantly, as you look at his life, you find that Samson was a very flawed savior. Jesus, on the other hand, was a perfect Savior.

But one more point: the word “angel” in the Bible, simply means “messenger.” And it seems very likely that the messenger that came to Manoah and his wife was actually Jesus.

Notice the exchange between Manoah and this messenger.

“What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?”

“Why do ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?” (Judges 13:17-18, ESV)

And after the messenger ascended into heaven, Manoah recognized, “we have seen God!” (22)

Years later, the prophet Isaiah would say these words,

For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders,

He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6）

Let us worship God today for our wonderful, perfect Savior.

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Judges Devotionals

Our true king

Judges

We often think of Saul as the first “king” in Israel’s history. But actually, Abimelech was.

The problem was, he was not appointed by God, who was Israel’s true King. Rather certain Israelites appointed him as king on their own. As a result, Abimelech recognized no accountability to the true King of Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:14-20).

For that matter, neither did the people who made Abimelech king. They were worshiping a false god (Judges 8:33, 9:4).

The result? Disaster.

The truth is, we can find true peace only when our true King rules. That King came 2000 years ago to the town of Bethlehem.

But our King is no longer a baby in a manger. He is a King that deserves our love, loyalty, and obedience.

So let us receive our King in our hearts, and joyously submit to his authority each day.

Joy to the world!
The Lord is come!
Let Earth receive her King!

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Judges Devotionals

The Lord is peace

Judges

I’ve been preparing a message on Luke 2 for my church, so I couldn’t help but notice some parallels between this story and the story of the shepherds.

As with Gideon, the shepherds must have been wondering why God had abandoned Israel. They were under Roman occupation, and even worse, God had not spoken to them in over 400 years.

But just as the angel told Gideon, “God is with you,” the angel told the shepherds, “Immanuel is born! God is truly with you!”

Gideon and the shepherds are also both told, “Do not be afraid.”

The angels also gave both of them a sign showing God’s favor to them.

Most importantly, in both cases, God then proclaims peace to his people.

Gideon, in fact, says, “Yahweh is peace.”

Hundreds of years later, the prophet Micah would say of Messiah, “He is our peace.”  (Micah 5:5)

So this Christmas season, whatever trials you may be facing, remember:

Don’t be afraid. God has shown his favor to us in his Son. And through his Son, we now have peace with God.

More than that, Jesus himself is our peace.

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Judges Devotionals

What your faith is leaning on

Judges

What is your faith leaning on?

On your pastor’s faith? On your spouse’s? On your friends’?

Or do you yourself truly trust in God?

For Barak, his faith rested on Deborah’s. He was confident God was with Deborah. He wasn’t confident God was with him. He certainly wasn’t confident enough to obey God without Deborah by his side.

How about you?

Let us not rest our faith on another’s. Rather, let us all mature, learning to trust in God and obey him ourselves.

As Peter said,

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18)

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Judges Devotionals

Failing to drive out evil in our lives

Judges

One of the things God commanded the Israelites to do as to completely drive out the Canaanites from the land, and make no compromise with them.

Why? Because of all their evil. And if they did not drive them out, their sin would eventually spread to the Israelites. (Leviticus 18, Deuteronomy 7:1-5).

But in this chapter, we see time and again the Israelites failing to do this.

In some cases, it was because it was hard. (Judges 1:19, 27, 34).

But that was no excuse. In the days of Joshua, they overcame enemies stronger than they. And in chapter 4 of Judges, we see that enemies having iron chariots were no match for Israel when they followed God.

More, we see that when they sought God’s counsel and they worked together, they could overcome anyone (1:1-5).

So what was the real issue?

In most cases, they just couldn’t be bothered to drive the Canaanites out. They could have. They were strong enough to do so. They simply didn’t.

How about us? God calls us to drive out sin and evil in our lives. But how important is that to us? Do we think that there are certain sins that are no big deal? A quick temper. Selfishness. Pornography.

Or are there sins that we’re finding hard to get rid of, and so we just don’t bother to try anymore?

Don’t make excuses for your sin. God has given his Spirit and each other to help us overcome sin in our lives. (Romans 8:13, James 5:15-16).

One day Jesus will return and we will be like him. So let us strive each day to be pure as he is pure. (1 John 3:2-3)

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Judges Devotionals

Where’s the love?

Judges

As I read the story of Samson, several things strike me.

Unlike the other times in the books of Judges, the people weren’t crying out to God for help from the Philistines. There was no sign of repentance at all on their part.

Instead, it seems they were either content, or at the very least, resigned to being under the Philistines’ thumbs. (Judges 15:11).

Samson, while definitely not happy with the Philistines, shared many of the same characteristics of his people.

1. He did what was right in his own eyes (14:3, 14:7).

2. He prostituted himself spiritually by involving himself with idol worshipers. (14:1-3, 16:1, 16:4).

3. And he broke his vows of being holy or separated for God. (See Numbers 6, and then compare it to Samson’s actions in these chapters).

But the most striking thing was two women, who should have had no claim on Samson’s life at all, basically asking him the same question: “Where’s the love? Can you truly say that you love me?” (14:16, 16:15).

How often can the One who has all the claim on us in the world say the same thing to us?

We hold things back from him. We prostitute ourselves to our sin and lusts. And we’re content to live that way. Or we say, “Well, that’s just the way things are. It’s who I am.”

Can you imagine your husband or wife, hiding things from you, cheating on you, and when you confront them, saying to you, “It’s just the way things are. It’s who I am”?

He is our God, and we rightfully belong to him.

Therefore, come out from among them
and be separate, says the Lord;
do not touch any unclean thing,
and I will welcome you.

And I will be a Father to you,
and you will be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:17-18)