God Speaks
Leadership, Godly or Evil, Has Consequences
Verse of the Day: [The Israelites after Gideon’s time] “. . . did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hands of their enemies on every side. They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) inspite of all the good things he had done for them.” (Judges 8:34-35 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Judges 8-9:
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 8
1. When His people turn away from Him, are ungrateful, and worship other “gods,” the LORD God may bring disaster upon them to turn them back to Himself.
2. When people assist others, they rightfully expect the recipients to treat them kindly and return the favor.
Judges 9
1. In His time, using various earthly means, God will repay people for their wickedness.
2. People are often deceitful and self-serving in their actions toward each other.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Judges 8-9?
LORD God, You rightly expect Your people to help each other and to show gratitude by supporting and encouraging those who fight against evil. There are so many fronts in the war on evil at this time in history; please show me where You want me to invest my resources. Please forgive me for being ungrateful and show me how best to express my thanks. Keep me free from seeking power for myself but yielded to Your sovereign authority in my life. Don’t let me be ensnared by sinful attitudes and wind up serving anything or anyone who isn’t You. Please grant Your people peace after all the turmoil we have experienced recently. Please help us to choose and follow godly leaders rather than corrupt ones. Don’t let us take revenge but leave it to You to deal with those who practice corruption, in Your time and in Your way. When we fear, love, trust, and obey You, we will always 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 8-9? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will not wait for God to send disaster, but I will turn back to Him now confessing the wickedness in my nation, my community, my family, and my own heart.
- I will go personally to someone who has helped me to express my thanks and assist them in some specific way.
- I will examine the news to see how God may be repaying people for their wickedness, then humbly ask Him to have mercy and shorten His wrath.
- I will ask the Holy Spirit to change the hearts of people who are being deceitful and self-serving (including my own heart).
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.