Daily Devotions

"...all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes." Judges 21: 25

I thought about different ways to start this blog and even wrote them out, but nothing feels right. So here we go: My devotions for the past week have been reading through the book of Judges. Now, this may sound boring to you. "Judges, what is in Judges?" You may say. My answer? A lot of good stuff that speaks to our culture today.

The thing that sticks out to me the most is this phrase, which is repeated throughout the book, "...all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes." Before this book, Israel was saved by God from slavery to the Egyptians. Through plagues, parting of the sea, manna from heaven, pillars of smoke and fire, and water from a rock, these people saw the miracles and providence of God. Yet, they were still unfaithful to Him. They complained, sinned, and forgot their God to the point that God refused that generation from ever reaching the promise land. Instead, it was given to their children. These children saw the power of God as they claimed the land as their own. The walls of Jericho tumbled; the enemy which was as numerous as the sands was destroyed. Yet, as God warned, they became too comfortable and lived an easy life that they forgot God. This is where Judges picks up. Here the first and second generation of the children of the promise land failed to completely claim the land as their own. They made treaties with those God told them not to. They didn’t get rid of the idols in the land, and those idols were a poisonous snare. Each generation experienced immorality, oppression from their enemies, then redemption though God’s grace and saving power. Yet each generation went further and further from God. Instead of worshiping the true God, they cast idols they made themselves. Instead of acknowledging God’s power and might, they claimed it as their own. Instead of turning to God for answers, “the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.”

I just returned from a missionary trip to Thailand. While there, the power of God could be felt. The miracles and providence of God could be seen. Yet here I am, back at home where it is easy and comfortable. Here I am ready to forget my daily devotions and my time of worship because I would rather watch The Price is Right. This was the beginning of the folly of the Israelites. It is also the sin of America. A whole nation believes in this philosophy, “as long as it doesn’t hurt others, then what is the problem?” Sin is sin. There is a right and a wrong. May God make us wise enough to discern the issues of life.

I can't express in words all that Judges has taught me in the last eight days. But I know I don't want to forget God, turn from him, or slip into sin slowly without noticing until it is too late. The lessons of others are so valuable, yet they are often overlooked. I don't want to do what is right in my eyes or your eyes. I want to follow God and do what is right in His eyes. One way I can do this is to continue reading the Bible everyday. Worship, something the Israelites neglected, is one way to stay committed and focused. Another is to not let pride or self-entitlement cause me to claim God's glory for my own (like Samson). All I can say is Judges is a great book and God is really patient and loving.