God Speaks
Strong Leaders Who Follow the LORD Bring Victory and Peace to His People
Verse of the Day: “[Some of the tribes in Canaan] were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD’s commands, which He had given their ancestors through Moses.” (Judges 3:4 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Judges 3-5:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
Judges 3
1. God purposefully arranges circumstances in our lives, like some of the foreign peoples remaining in the land God had promised the Israelites. This is to test us to see if we will obey the commands He has laid out for us in the Bible.
2. People generally follow God under strong and wise leadership. Once that is removed, however, they turn away and follow other “gods” until they become desperate and cry out to Him. Then He has compassion on them and sends a rescuer.
Judges 4
1. God will send rescuers to deliver us from evil (even our own foolish decisions and actions), if we will admit our need, cry out to Him, and turn back to following His commands.
2. People who may be physically weak (women) can experience great victories, if they unite with and follow the LORD.
Judges 5
1. God’s heart is with people in authority and willing volunteers who praise Him and obey His commands.
2. When men do not stand up and courageously lead and defend their people, God may choose to use women who will.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Judges 3-5?
Dear Father God, thank you for being so patient and yet firm with Your people, from the time You called Abram until today. You purposefully use even our own waywardness to train us to fight our enemies and follow You. You train us for warfare by putting us in situations that require us to call on You or fail miserably. When men do not stand up and courageously lead and defend their people (or families), You, LORD God, may choose to use women who will. The question is, “Will we (each man, woman, or child) trust You and obey Your commands or not?” We will never win the battle for our souls (or our nation) if we don’t turn back to You, the source of our strength. The weapons we use in spiritual warfare are not material but spiritual–Your Word, O God; inner strength and peace of heart; godly wisdom; stability of character; unity among Your people; obedience to You, LORD; sound thinking; constant and instant communication with You in prayer, praise, and worship; trusting You alone; and the security of right living. These are the weapons that will defeat the three enemies of our souls–the world system, sinful human nature, and the devil and his forces. Thank You for sending the ultimate judge and rescuer–Jesus Christ. Thank You, also, for placing the most powerful secret weapon in our hearts–the Holy Spirit–who supercharges all of the other weapons. Please don’t let us be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. Then we will experience good and bring You glory, LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Judges 3-5? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will do what I can to defeat evil in my day. For example: to combat child abuse and/or trafficking, I will care for children in my household, building, or neighborhood.
- I will pray for and support godly governmental leaders (financially, by volunteering, on social media, and/or with my vote).
- I will reach out to members of the military and/or their families and offer my support.
- When things are going well in my life, I will pray that the LORD helps me to not be complacent but to be on the alert and to stand up against the schemes of the evil one.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.