Today's Passage: Judges 3-4
This passage is enough to make you crazy, but it's also very encouraging. It tells the exciting stories of battles and overthrowing kings, but the reason behind it all is almost annoying. The Israelites, God's chosen people, continue to turn away from Him. Even after He has done miraculous things for them time after time, they still become distracted by what the rest of the world has to offer. Then God gives them over to their own devices and they end up in a world of trouble. Then...and here's the encouraging part...they cry out to God for help and HE HELPS THEM! Reading through the Old Testament, this seems to be the cycle that the Israelites continuously go through. And while it absolutely astounds me that they can turn away from God after seeing Him do so many things, how true is this cycle in our lives as well?
Two nights ago at VBS our Bible story was about Jesus walking on water and calling out to Peter to join Him. Peter steps out of the boat, walks on the water for a bit, then gets distracted and starts to sink. As soon as he calls out to Jesus for help, though, Jesus lifts him back up. Peter had become distracted by the storm going on around him. This passage has challenged me to consider what the "storm" going on around me might be. What is it that I allow to compete for my focus from Jesus? What do I allow to distract me from Him? What "storm" could be calmed with a simple, "Help me, Jesus?"
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