...the end of book seven.

Judges was a sobering reminder of how easily God can be taken for granted. 

Although I found myself wondering how in the world God's children kept falling back into rebellion over and over again after deliverance from God, I had to remember that each generation had to learn their own lesson. 

It's easy to fall into the trap of, "God will forgive me", and it's true.  God WILL forgive me, if my heart is truly repentant.  However, it's not about that.  It's not about me, its about responding to a love that I will never come close to understanding this side of heaven. 

It's about surrendering to the One who loves me so much that He allows Himself to be taken for granted over and over again. 

It's about learning to love others with the same loyal, faithful and unfailing love that I have been shown. 

"God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us."  (Romans 5:5)



Oh, I just love that verse.  Every time I read it I imagine God physically (and tenderly) sprinkling His love into my heart. 

Pour it to the rim please!  In fact...I think I'll have seconds! 

Please! Just one more chance...

Judges 10 - 21

This book is like a merry go round!  Same journey every time, different horse (translation: judge).  It goes like this:

Israel does evil in the sight of the Lord.  They are overcome by their enemies, God rescues them by raising up a judge.  They live in peace until that judge dies.

But eventually, God reaches the end of His mighty rope.  He's done.  He tells them, "you've abandoned Me, serving other gods."  (10:13) and announces that He's never going to rescue them again.  He told them to cry out to their "gods" to rescue the, next time, in their hour of distress!  

As a parent of a teenager, I can relate.  "That's right, God!  You tell 'em!  They've turned their back on you one too many times!  It's time to show them who's boss!"  

But the Israelites pleaded.

"....and God was grieved by their misery." (10:16)

Again,  I can relate.

The love of a parent is like no other.  It doesn't matter how many times our children mess up.  We always want to give them another chance.  Another opportunity to change.  

To obey.

To love.

So, God sends more judges and one of them is Samson.  

"Hey, I know the story of Samson!  Or at least a little something about him.  He's the guy that grows his hair really long and gets his power from it, right?"

Kind of.

The "daily walk" bible describes his life "a study of unfulfilled potential."

How sad.  God blesses Samson with superhuman strength and commissions him to rescue Israel from the Philistines, but Samson spends most of his life chasing his own passions - mostly women. 

He ultimately ends up blind and in bondage.  The bible says, "the Lord, had left him." (16:20) 

Eventually, he comes to the place where he places full surrender of his life to God.

He prays, "Sovereign Lord, remember me again!" (16:28) 

God, gives him one last portion of power and in his death Samson destroys more Philistines than during his entire life of compromise. 

In the end, Samson embraced the power of love and rejected the love of power.

And once again, God proved to be faithful. 

Mighty hero? Me?

Judges 6 - 13

True to it's name, I encountered many deliverers in this book.  Deliverers that God called, "judges".  I won't write about all of them but there were a few that stood out, mostly because their stories were fun to read!

Ehud - This guy was left handed, like me!  He delivered tax money to King Eglon and one day he  brought the king a secret message - a dagger to the belly!  I especially found it amusing that God felt the need to mention that the king was so fat that Ehus lost his dagger! 

Deborah - a great story!  She believed God, NEVER doubting.  She brought Israel to victory over Sisra, who had 900 chariots!  Deborah, like Moses wrote a song for the Israelites so they would never forget all that God has done for them. 

Those are just a two of the many judges that God used, but there is another man, one whose story reminds me that God always sees what we can become, not what we really are.

Gideon.

The angel refers to him as, "Mighty hero", when he first calls on him.  He sure didn't think of himself that way.  In fact, I think the last thing Gideon felt like was a mighty hero!

He reminded the Lord "my clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!" (6:15)

Now, I don't don't know if "least" means youngest, or smallest or even weakest but one thing is for sure...Gideon did not have the confidence to be "a mighty hero."

And isn't it just like God to use him anyway?

God's response to him was, "I will be with you."  (vs 16)

The treasure I loved in this story was -- Gideon was not the obvious choice. 

He was cynical

...or sincere if you will.  Raw.  Sometimes we need to tell God exactly how we feel.  I think God appreciates that.  I believe it brings us to a deeper level with Him.  Gideon had NO problem doing that, "if God's with us, why has all this happened to us?  Where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about?  The Lord has abandoned us." (6:13) Sarcasm much?

He was skeptic

He needed a sign from God - not just once - but three times! He asked God, "please don't be angry with me but if you are truly going to use me...I need proof". (6:39) Fighting against the Midians could possibly mean life or death!  He wanted to be absolutely sure that THIS WAS GOD! 

He was scared

God asked him to tear down his father's alter that he had build for Baal, an idol.  Although Gideon obeyed....he did it at night because "he was afraid of the other members of his father's household and the people of the town." (6:27) 

Finally believing that God is behind him, Gideon watches as God removes all of the props in which he might have trusted.  His army was reduced from 32,000 to 300!  His weapons were reduced to pitches, torches and trumpets and his strategy was but a single command, "Stand still!" 

God's a pretty awesome multi-tasker. He was increasing Gideon's faith but at the same time, He also wanted to be sure that the Israelites couldn't boast, saying they saved themselves, by their own strength. 

God saw the ending.  He knew that Gideon would be a mighty hero.  He also knew that Gideon would give all the glory to God. 

Israel asked him to be their ruler.  His response? 

"The Lord will rule over you!" (8:23)

There was peace for 40 years - during the rest of Gideon's life.

I'm so glad that God loves us for who we are...but sees us for what we can be! 

How's THAT workin' for ya?

Judges 1-5

"How quickly they turned away from the path of their ancestors, who had walked in obedience to the Lord's commands."
(2:17)

Disappointed, but not surprised.  It was foretold, after all.

After Joshua died and another generation rose up, they began to forget what God had done for them.  They chased other gods and abandoned their Lord.

Now, a lot of their problem goes way back to when God told their ancestors to drive everyone out of the land when they moved in and took over. 

But they didn't.

They forced some of the Canaanites to work as slaves for them.  Hmmm - pride, greed, power - I wonder...what was their driving force?  All of the above, perhaps?

But THAT was the old generation.  Now, the new generation has the Canaanites living in their land, among them.  Their gods a constant temptation.

So, God began to do exactly as He promised.  When they went into battle - He fought against them.

But even then, God was faithful - even when His people were not.  He took pity on them.  He began to rise up men and women to rescue them.  Judges, to deliver them.

And so a cycle begins:

• The Israelites fall into sin, and usually begin worshipping other gods.
• God gets mad and hands them over to kings.  They stay under that king's rule for years.
• Israel cries out to God after years of oppression.
• God sees their renewed commitment and rises up judges - someone to rescue them.
• There is peace.  Sweet salvation.

 This is repeated SEVEN times throughout the book of Judges - about 350 years.  Boy, God IS patient!  I suppose 350 years for Him is like a breath.   

But, you'd think they would have noticed a pattern after about, oh say, a couple of hundred years...wouldn't ya?

It's too bad Dr. Phil wasn't around back then.  I'm sure he would have asked them - "How's that workin' for ya?" 

...the end of book six.

So, the trek is finally over. 

I've been a Christian for a over 20 years and this was the first time I've read the entire journey of the Israelites from start to finish.  Starting before they were delivered from slavery in Egypt until the moment they stepped foot into the promised land. 

I began reading my bible because I was searching.  I wanted to understand more about God's love. 

I've heard it taught for years: 

"God IS love!"
"God loves us so much!
"God promises this, and God promises that."
"He'll deliver you!"

But I just wasn't feeling it.  Oh, I believed it.  But feel it?  Not so much.  

Most days I felt like a disappointment, falling short of what He called me to be.  "He loves me no matter what?"  

We live in a world of conditional love.  Our love is selfish, "what can they do for me?"  It's based on feelings, hormones and past experiences.  

Even though I've been taught (and have read scripture to confirm these truths) that His love is unconditional it's still sometimes hard to swallow.     

I believed it with my mind. 

But, being only familiar with worldly love, I just couldn't feel it with my heart.

It can be a difficult thing to align your heart with your mind.

So began my journey.  I started at the beginning, the Old Testemant.  I figured I'd have to drudge my way through --marching ahead with my eyes locked on the New Testament...bring on Jesus!!  Jesus IS love!!!    

But what God has taught me about Himself and His love through these first six books in my bible has knocked my socks off!!  (in the wise words of my great friend JD)

In watching Him respond to the Israelites, He's displayed a love that truly IS unconditional.

Finally!  I could relate to this love!  The Israelites, they were  JUST LIKE ME!  They've behaved, in so many ways, the way I do! 

They were selfish - I tend to think about what's best for me.
They doubted -  Yup, got TONS of doubts.
They rebelled - I don't like anyone telling me what to do!
They complained - I like things to go a certain my...my way.

I'm sure I could go one, but I've pretty much convinced myself that I got it covered.  I'm just like 'em. 

So...I waited for God to cast them away.  To turn His mighty back on them!  Forget about them.  Move on to "better people", people that will appreciate what He does for them. 

People that will be, do, serve, love, exactly the way He wants them to.  But is there such thing? 

We ALL fall short. 

When they complained, God gave them exactly what they wanted (remember the quail story? one of my favs) until they were sick of it!

Whey they doubted, God reminded them that it was HIS battle and encouraged them to have faith!

When they rebelled, He corrected them.   

When they were captive - HE delivered them through mighty miracles.

What an A-HA moment!  I feel so blessed to have found out the secret to why He loves us!  Finally!  The "reason" I've been searching for!

There is no reason.

It's really not as complicated as I try to make it.

I finally understand that He loves me because He has decided to. 

...and certainly not because of anything I do or do not do. 

He loves me because that's just who He is and no matter what I do, say, think, hear, or see - I can't escape His Love.

Nor do I want to.

...and now the rest of the story.

Joshua 22-24

I'm so excited to move on!  It's done!  God kept his promise, the battle is over.  Now what?

Before Joshua dies, he does as Moses did and speaks to the people one last time.  He doesn't waste his last days with small talk, that's for sure!

He points out that they didn't deserve ANY of what they got - land they didn't work for, vineyards they didn't plant.  He's also quick to warn them, one last time, "Honor God!  Serve Him!  Follow His commands!" 

...and he's going to follow his own advise in vs 15:

"But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord."

The people agreed saying, "We would never forsake God!  He's preserved us!  We're determined."

So Joshua made a covenant between God and His people and for as long as those leaders that had personally experienced God's provision lived...Israel served the Lord.

Manna vs honey. No brainer?

Joshua 21

A chapter of victory!  Although most of the chapter is designated for "who got what land" there were a few concluding verses that could possibly be the most important verses of the first six books of the bible. 

Verses 43-45 (in my words)

The Lord gave to Israel ALL the land He had promised their ancestors and they conquered and settled there.   God gave them rest on every side, non of their enemies could stand against them.  The Lord helped them conquer their enemies.  ALL of the good promises CAME TRUE!

While I read these verses with my eyes - this is what I was reading with my heart:

The Lord gave to me ALL of the desires of my heart - love, acceptance, security, faith, grace, self-control, etc.  God gave me rest, peace, and no matter what situation I found myself in -my enemies could not stand against me.  The Lord helped me conquer my enemies - temptation, guilt, selfishness, shame, insecurity, laziness, the list goes on.  ALL of the good promises CAME TRUE!

I, too, can live as victorious as the Israelites!  I am saved, by the blood of Christ, that much is true.  However, God wants me to live a life of victory!  I can either stay back in the desert and eat manna (yuck) for the rest of my life or I can take a step of faith - cross over to the Jordan and eat *milk and honey! (*translation: cheesecake)  

I am a child of the most high God and he's going to take care of me right where I am, every day.  He's promised me that. 

BUT:

I can stay comfortable, sporting my "never aging" sandals, enjoying the daily cloud of shade and warming fire at night.  Yes, safe and sound in my own camp, with my own people, continually blocking the sound of God's voice telling me it's time to move on.  

OR:

I can stand at the edge, expecting God to part the Jordan for me every day, so I can faithfully cross over on dry land and enjoy a feast!  And not to forget, while I'm feasting there's rest on everyside!  Life at it's best!  Everything God intended for me!  What an adventure!  

Why would I want to "camp out" everynight when I can board a luxury cruise line?    

That's what God wants to know....