Morning devotional_Judges 3_Meekness Test

 

1. Summary 

Story of the three Judges, Othniel, Ehud, and Samgal.

 

 

2. What God is saying to me today

(1) Pass the test. 
These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan
(he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience):
the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.
They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD's commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses.

(Judges 3:1-4)

God tested Israel. 
He wanted to see if they would serve God without sinning, even though they had the opportunity to worship idols. 
Being holy because you can't sin is not real holiness. 
True holiness is the holiness of meekness. 
Meekness is the ability to restrain oneself and not do it, even though one could. 
The opportunity to sin was a test from God.
I can call it a test of meekness. 
For example, Jesus could have rejected the cross, but He did not. 

I must show meekness by not sinning when I could.
Like the people in the days of the Judges, I can choose to serve God alone, or I can choose the path of idolatry. 
Even the choice is grace. 

I will choose to serve God with meekness all day long.

 

 

(2) Remember, and cry out. 
The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.
The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
The anger of the LORD burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years.
But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them

(Judges 3:5-9)

The failure of the meekness test was accomplished through "forgetfulness." 
Forgetfulness begets idolatry, which begets idolatry, which begets God's wrath, which begets the eight years of suffering. 
The Bible shows me the pattern of failure, and I can hack it.
I should overcome " forgetting" before we can win the final victory. 
In the Bible, "remembering God" is the basis for meditating on the Word. 

Psalm 1 comes to mind. 
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
(Psalm 1:2-3). 

The way to overcome " forgetting" is to "recall", daily repeatedly. 

 

The Word is God (John 1:1-3). 

By meditating on the Word day and night, I will overcome "forgetfulness" and prevent the pattern of the book of Judges from repeating itself in my life. 

I will also repeat the "cry" of Judges' people. 
I will bring the consequences of my "forgetfulness" to God and cry out. 
The God of the Book of Judges, who answered the cry, is the same God who answers me today. 
Tonight, I will cry out.

 

3. Prayer of the Day

Heavenly Father, my Lord and Master. 
I praise You for Your Word today. 
Thank You for showing me through Your Word today that You are testing me. 
Thank You for showing me how to fight the spiritual battles that are going on in my heart every moment. 
You are a God who leaves me rooms to sin, to test me, to mold me into the meekness and His perfection. 
You leave rooms for me to fail, and it makes me cry out because I can see your faith in me. 
I am grateful and thankful. 
For believing in me and providing the test,

I am growing stronger in the test of meekness that I have passed on my own. 
Thank you, and thank you, and thank you.
Help me Lord.
Let me pass the test of meekness again today.
I praise You for believing in me and providing the test so that I can do it. 
In Jesus' name,
Amen.