Today’s Reading: Judges 21
Key Verses: Judges 21:3a & Judges 21:15
O Lord, the God of Israel, they cried, why has this happened to Israel…And the people grieved for Benjamin, because the Lord had made a void in the tribes of Israel.
It is gratifying to find that, after the violent war between the tribes, there came a return of tender feelings, efforts at reconciliation and peace. It must have felt like gentle rain after the hurricane of war. Human tears, as they well forth on behalf of others, reveal the existence of the love of God expressed in acts of compassion. There is an old saying that, “Those who act in haste repent at leisure.” In other words, the process of godly sorrow for sin and for the foolish decisions, which sin produces, often takes years to heal. Israel is a case in point.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I’ve read ahead in 1 Corinthians. Some people are still in a moral mess, even after they have believed in Jesus as their Savior and been baptized as Christians. Help me to learn and communicate the difference You have made in their lives compared to the people we’ve read about in Judges. Teach me, I pray, right from wrong, and teach me how to keep filled with Your Word and Your Holy Spirit, so everything will be better. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
According to the doctors, I have moved in my health into what is called the acute stage of MDS leukemia. I pray every morning for complete healing from God. I also thank all who pray for me. God always answers prayer! However, His answers may be as follows: No, grow, slow, or go! If it is “no,” that’s God’s absolute right to have other plans and to carry out those plans. If His answer is “grow,” it means that I must become more mature in my Christian life. If He says, “slow,” then circumstances must change in order to accommodate His full restoration to health. If He says, “go,” it’s obvious to the patient, the doctors, and everyone else. I believe that true faith does not try to manipulate God into one’s healing; it is simply a matter of obedience. Pastors, elders, deacons and many people of faith and compassion have prayed for me. Having asked for this according to the Scriptures, I now await God’s perfect will for me in perfect peace. By God’s grace I’m ready to live to 104 like the late George Beverly Shea, or less time as was the case of the Apostles and most of God’s people. I can report that because of Jesus, I’m experiencing great contentment relating to my physical condition.
