JUDGES MOMENT – (19MAR19) The Lord did not totally wipe out
all of Israel’s enemies to test them to see if they would be obedient to Him,
and so that they could gain experience in the art of war. The Israelites,
however, failed the test when it came to their obedience and they not only
worshipped other foreign gods, but they intermarried with the heathen nations.
This angered the Lord and brought down His wrath of judgment against them. Sometimes
we make the mistake in thinking that all challenges in life come from the
devil. Although the devil does bring challenges our way, there is a major
difference. God tests us through trials and tribulation, but does not tempt us
to do evil – whereas, the devil tempts us with sin hoping that we fail the tests.
It is just like a teacher who has ensured that they taught you all the course requirements
throughout the semester and at the end, you get a final exam to assess your
knowledge. The teacher is wanting you to pass because it is a reflection of the
hard work that both you and he did during the semester, but it is totally up to
you to pass the test. The devil, on the other hand, does not want you to pass,
so he will cause distractions, chaos, sinful thoughts, and worldly things to
take your focus off of the test – causing you to fail. Just as in the
classroom, God gives tests to see what we have learned from the previous
lessons that He has taught us. He wants us to pass because He has a great
reward for His faithful in the end, but we must remain focused on Him. The good
thing about God is that He always grades on a curve and never gives us the
grade that we oftentimes deserve. This angers the devil who is the accuser of
the brethren – always pointing out our mistakes. Nevertheless, the Lord reminds
him of what He did on the cross in the past, so that we could have a bright heavenly
future. Therefore, when challenges come your way, know that God is the
Administrator and He is desiring for you to pass. Even if you fall short, His
grading system is always curved in our favor if we rely on Him. Something to
ponder…
QUESTION OF THE DAY – (19MAR19) Ehud was a left-handed man
whom God rose up to have a right-handed mission. The Israelites had done evil
in the sight of the Lord and He allowed them to be overtaken by their enemies.
Once they cried out to Him for help, He used Ehud to kill the king of Moab and the
Israelites were able to destroy their enemies. Ehud drove a double-edged sword
into the king’s belly and the fat covered up even the handle because he was a
large man. God’s WORD is sharper than any double-edge sword. With it, we too
are able to defeat the enemy. Do you turn to your sword when attacks come your
way? Are you reminded of Scripture when the enemy tries to place thoughts of
doubt in your mind? Do you stand on the WORD in the midst of those wanting to
compromise? The world is plunging deeper into darkness, but God’s Word remains
the light, our defense, and firm foundation on which we are to stand. Just as
Ehud defeated the enemy with a double-edges sword that was hidden underneath
his garments, we too are to have the Word of God hidden on the inside of us
where we can pull it out to be victorious. Something to ponder…
JUDGES MOMENT – (19MAR19) Deborah was a wife, mother, and
prophetess whom God chose to be a judge over the children of Israel. He gave
her a message for Barak to lead the Children of Israel in battle against their
enemies where he would give him the victory, but Barak would not go unless
Deborah went with him. Therefore, she agreed to go but told him that a woman would
be credited for the victory since that was the course he chose. Jael, the wife
of Herber the Kenite, was the woman who hammered a tent peg into Sisera, the
commanding officer’s head, and God gave Israel victory over their oppressors. There
has been a lot of debate amongst various Christian groups regarding women’s
roles in the body of Christ. Many people misunderstand scripture and feel that
women do not have a place to do the work of God. Yet, all throughout the Bible,
God used women to be His vessels in various ways. The man God chose to lead the
children of Israel was not confident in God enough to lead the people to war
even though he was guaranteed to be given the victory. Therefore, God used not
only one, but two women to accomplish His will and Israel was victorious. God
does not discriminate in who He will use for His glory. God uses both men and
women, boys and girls, rich and poor, young and old, famous and unknown for
kingdom purpose. All He desires is a humble vessel that is willing to be used.
Something to ponder…
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