May He grant your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans! – Psalm 20:4
The post “Aspire to Apply the Word” offered some thoughts on growing spiritually, being at peace with God, and being a leader in sharing good thoughts for the soul. Our writing and sharing with others gets the Good News out to the world and is useful not only for ourselves but to those that read our posts.
Author of my hope
Maker of the stars
Let me be Your work of art
Write your story on my heart
Come on and make your mark
I want my history
To be Your legacy
We have good days and bad days and that’s why there is a need to store up thoughts that are good for the soul. These thoughts may come from sermons, blogs, Bible Study, etc. or photos may bring back memories that help get through the bad days. The photo above was taken when I went on a vacation to Lake Tahoe formed from a collection of water from melting snow to create this amazing lake.
Today, we will be reading Judges 12 to collect a reservoir of thoughts that are good for the soul. In today’s passage, both Gideon and Jephthah didn’t ask the Ephraimites to help fight the enemy and the Ephraimites expressed anger. Gideon and Jephthah each handled this resentment differently. Gideon explained to them that they had done just as much as he had done to defeat the Midianites. This seemed to make them happy. Jephthah on the other hand, told them that he did ask for their help but they didn’t respond. This did not quell their anger so they ended up fight against each other.
Throughout the history of Israel, they depended on good judges but there was a negative impact when a corrupt judge assumed leadership over the nation. It usually resulted in instability because the people were turned away from God. Rather than being dependent on the leadership of another person for spiritual stability, we should understand God’s Word so that we are each led by the Truth.
The take away for me in today’s passage is to allow for a way so that all can grow growing spiritually, be at peace with God, and admired by others. Aspire to apply the Word and become a leader by writing about how God’s Word can lead to achievement in your calling. Get the Good News out by working towards gaining followers that can help you and those around you.
Lord … we have good days and bad days but we gain each day a reservoir of good thoughts that provide for spiritual growth. We aspire to apply Your Word as we set aside this time for study and prayer. We feel Your presence and seek guidance for the tasks that need to be accomplished today. Amen.
Do not be terrified, or afraid of them. The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you. – Deuteronomy 1:29
Thoughts obtained from the post “Courage to Step Ahead” can help you apply your faith. With grit, determination, and looking to God who fights for you, things once thought impossible can become possible. Once proven possible, others will join in on the path to victory.
Rely on the Word as your guide, write down the steps of action, and use songs like Battle is the Lord’s by Rebecca St. James ft. Brandon Lake to encourage. God is in control so take courage in the fight as you step ahead with boldness because with God by your side, everything will turn out right.
Life can be extremely challenging so we need to have courage as we face our battles. That’s why it is so important to invite Jesus into these battles because His presence is our best weapon. When we have faith in Jesus, we have a plan for victory and the courage to step ahead. As we read Judges 11, we note that Jephthah was the eighth judge who had these qualities as a leader of the people of Israel.
In the early life of Jephthah, he was sent away in exile because his half-brothers said he was an illegitimate son of their father. While away in exile, he worked at becoming a skilled fighter with the ability to wage war. As the years passed by, the people of Gilead were in need of a leader to fight against the Ammonites so they went to Jephthah for help.
At first Jephthah refused to help the people of Gilead but then accepted once the people listened to him and agreed to give him their full allegiance if he would defeat the Ammonites. Since Jephthah had gained the skills that the people needed, he began his strategy to wage war against the Ammonites.
His first action as leader was to dispute the territorial borders. The Ammonites had claimed that the region was originally their land and they had the right to get it back but Jephthah told them about the history. He defended Israel’s right to the land and that the Ammonites had no claim to it so the dispute of territorial borders persisted between the Gileadites and the Ammonites.
Jephthah knew the history and argued with the Ammonites that the ONE true God gave Israel the land over 300 years ago and that if they wanted the land back, they needed to ask the help of their own gods who they worshipped.
Even though Jephthah was a highly motivated person that had gained the needed skills along with the courage to take action, he felt he had to make a vow to God in exchange for victory. The vow was to sacrifice the first thing that walked through the door of his house to meet him after the battle was won (v. 31). After victory, his daughter was the first to walk through the door to meet him. She was his only child but they both kept their vow to the Lord so this ended the clan of Jephthah.
Fortunately for us in current times, all we have to do is accept Christ as Savior. We don’t need to make a vow with a blood sacrifice for victory. He’s already given us the victory by accepting the sacrifice of His Son and all we need to have is the courage to carry out God’s Plan For Us.
This day with You Lord, we have the determination and believe You will help us face our battles. You will set things up for us to accomplish things that we once thought impossible. Others will begin to follow once they see that with You by our side, victory is guaranteed. Amen.
This poem is inspired by Numbers 14 when Caleb and Joshua understood the advantage of having God on their side. They understood that they were touched by divine power and protected from enemies. This poem stirs us to have the same mindset and believe in God’s power!
This Day With God - A Spiritual Journey 
