Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. Rather, worship the LORD your God; it is He who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies. – 2 Kings 17:38-39
Highlighted in the post “Listen and Follow” is that it takes no effort for our bad habits like a lack of focus, discipline, faith, etc. to zap our energy so the bad habits set in. We become separated from God.
There is a way to reconnect! Listen to the song Christ in Me by Jeremy Camp and remember that because of Christ in us, we are just one step away from being recharged to do the amazing. This day with God, have the desire to listen and make the decision to follow God’s Plan for Us.
Much of our life is directed by the low standards of this world rather than God’s higher standard. Success is defined by lofty incomes, nice cars, or an expensive house instead of vast spiritual assets like faith, hope, and love! This day with God, let us seek the spiritual assets found in Judges 10 as we listen and follow.
The people followed the ways of God under the leadership of Tola for 23 years and Jair for 22 years. Then, they fell into their old bad habits of following other gods. It’s easy to fall into this trap because following idols requires little effort. Unfortunately in life, negative habits are the default settings to mediocrity but the good habits that lead to knowing God like the desire to listen and a decision to follow requires effort.
The problem in following idols is that God is pushed aside and guidance is no longer available. Situations are also not arranged for sure victory. With the Israelites, God was angry and sold them into the hands of their enemies who oppressed them.
The people of Israel were in great distress so they cried out to the Lord for help but God was no longer with them. He had saved them before but they had forgotten His ways so He no longer saved them (v. 13). The people ultimately got to a point of despair and they had a complete change of heart. They confessed their sin and agreed to get rid of their foreign gods to serve the ONE true God.
We have good news today because of Christ! We are in right standing and will be able to step ahead in powerful ways. We are listening and ready to follow the plan that will lead us to places we never could imagine. Help us to stay the course even with road blocks. We now receive Your grace, maintain hope in Your promise, and believe we are gaining spiritual treasures step by step. Amen.
A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself. – Proverbs 11:17
A thought from the post “The Boomerang Effect” was that getting what you want in the wrong way is short term and inconsistent. History tells us that there is usually a negative boomerang effect. On the other hand, kindness is never wasted. It will wear well and be remembered.
Be spurred on by the song Humble and Kind by Tim McGraw and believe this day with God will be amazing because what you make happen for others will be given back. Give a smile and a smile will be returned; act kind and receive kindness from others.
Getting what we want in the wrong way is short term and history tells us that there is usually a negative boomerang effect. On the other hand, following the principles of God are productive and efficient.
In the events recorded in Judges 9, the unkind and selfish motives are demonstrated repeatedly. After Gideon’s death, his son named Abimelek convinced his brothers and the people that it would be best to have one leader and that he would be the best leader for them. He also reminded them that he was their flesh and blood.
Once given power, he killed his 70 brothers. Only the youngest brother name Jotham was able to escape. He ruled over Israel for just a short time and these three years were full of trouble as new leaders began to challenge Abimelek’s authority. There was insurrection but Abimelech was warned each time so that actions could be taken to control the rebellion.
Unfortunately, Abimelek wanted revenge against those who were revolting against him so he turned on the city that had given him power in the first place. As the city was about to totally be destroyed, a woman threw down a stone that crushed his skull. Rather than being killed by a woman, Abimelek had his armor-bearer finish him off with his sword (vv. 53-54).
There are consequences for unkind and selfish desires so we constantly need to ask ourselves if we are following the principles of God’s Word or if we have our own ambitions that go against the ways of God. Respecting others and living a life of kindness toward others is never wasted. It will wear well for a legacy that will be remembered in a positive way.
This day with You Lord, we pray for understanding the Way as we follow Your Word. As we learned from today’s passage, getting what we want in life in the wrong way is short term and usually backfires to cause harm in the long term. We seek to help out our neighbors with kindness so the world is a better place. Amen.
At times, you may question God. It’s hard to see how some difficulties can be overcome. But friend, God can make the impossible possible. This poem encourages you to believe in His power! To have faith in your own abilities to do His work.
This Day With God - A Spiritual Journey 