Blinding Emotion

 ¹⁵Then she said to him, "^(A)How can you say, 'I love you,' when your heart is not with me? You have deceived me these three times and have not told me where your great strength is."

 ¹⁶It came about when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, that his soul was annoyed to death.

 ¹⁷So he told her all that was in his heart...

Judges 16:15-17

It's easy to read what Samson went through and say, "what was he thinking?"  3 times Delilah tried to get him killed and he still stayed with her.  We need to be in guard even to the most closest of people sometimes.  I don't think we're being taught to be critical about everyone.  I think we're being instructed to pay attention to the obvious signs around us because our emotions blinds us.

What am I being blinded to because of what I feel?  Lots of stuff!  A small but relevant case had to do with doing dishes at home.  As I finally realized that the dishes weren't gonna clean themselves I did them anyway.  But as I was doing that my mind started complaining on why I always have to do it, as well as cook and everything else every day.  God then placed it in my heart that what have I done this week?  When I looked back I realized I did very little.  My heart was so heavy with the feeling of doing everything my mind weighed in with the opposite.  This, like Samson, was dangerous and if I don't catch it soon enough it could become tragic. 

Father God, thank You for allowing me to see through Holy lenses.  I quickly run my course by how things feel and my emotions take me to sone pretty ugly places.  I need to use You to navigate me through this darkened world.  I have a map, use it.  

Foolish Vow and Faithful Daughter

 ³⁶So she said to him, "My father, you have given your word to the LORD; ^(A)do to me as you have said, since the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the sons of Ammon."

Judges 11:36

Jephthah's vow was foolish!  He promised the Lord the first thing that comes out of his home if the sons of Ammon was conquered.  God provided and his daughter, his only daughter, came out dancing.  Sometimes our mouths leap out way before it should.  Jephthah did not put his Holy filter on and that cost him his daughter's life.  Whose life are we sacrificing with our foolish vows?

I feel sick to my stomach every time I read this passage.  The foolsih mistake yea but also the beautiful heart of his daughter to one honor her father's vow and two, and more important, God.  Did she have to submit in this way?  I wouldn't have.  I wouldve found some loophole in the deal, asking exactly what was said.  But she accepted it and grieved about it.  I need to be wise, unlike Jephthah, and faithful like his daughter.

Father God, praise Your mighty name for all Your love and compassion.  My flesh would've liked to see You spare this child like You did Issac but that wasn't Your plan.  This is another example of how You have everything under control and orchestrated perfectly. 

Left in my Consequences

 ¹³"Yet ^(A)you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you.

 ¹⁴"^(B)Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress."

 ¹⁵The sons of Israel said to the LORD, "We have sinned, ^(C)do to us whatever seems good to You; only please deliver us this day."

 ^16(D)So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD; and ^(E)He could bear the misery of Israel no longer.

Judges 10:13-16

God is truly a jealous but compassionate God.  After Abimelech died and other judges came and went, the Israelites turned back to Baal worship.  It was only after they were under heavy persecution by the Philistines and Ammonites that they cried out to the Lord for help.  God denied resuing them and told them to call out to their gods instead.  They realized that there was no other than Him and they cleaned out all the junk and continued to cry out to Him.  God went as far as He wanted to and came to their aid and were delivered.

God wants us to choose Him first in everyhing.  Sometimes we get so off track we need to be face to face with our choices and the consequences.  God allowed their actions to be carried out so they could see exactly what they were doing which ultimately lead to repentance and delivery.  We too will suffer, to the extremes likely.  But this isn't to punish or God getting back to us.  No, it's the compassion and tough love each of us needs to correct our wayward heart.

Father God, I pray that I never get to this point and that my heart is always soft and moldable.  But if I do arrive there I pray that I'm reminded of Your compassion.  Amen.

Cat's Away & Mice Play

 ³³ No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god ³⁴ and did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. ³⁵ They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.

Judges 8:33-35

Why is it that we're only good when we're supervised?  It seems like as soon as the leash is relaxed a little bit we stray a little further.  Gideon obeyed the Lord and they had peace for 40 years but as soon as he died the people turned to Baal worship.  I'm sure Gideon would've said, "are you kidding me?  After all I've done and taught you?!"  Imagine what God thought.  Each and every one of our faiths need to be based on the Holy Spirit, not men; not even the most godly of men.  Our Boss or Supervisor should be God, the One who will never take vacations or breaks.  He'll never ever leave or forsake us.

As I reflect on my life I'm terrible without supervision.  Just look how I manage my home, finances, relationships, work, ministry.  All these things suffer because there's no one to push me and keep me accountable.  Yes, God does this.  But He allows us to choose, not force.  It's up to us to discipline our own bodies, push ourselves to do what we believe is true.  We need the Holy Spirit with us to manage our lives; invite Him into our minds as well as our hearts.

Lord God, my prayer today is that I invite You in to my mind.  I want to spend not only my intimate times but my thinking times.  I want You to be right there as I'm sitting there thinking about my everyday activities.  I want Your promptings in every single aspect of my life.  Thank You Lord for living in me.

God's Calling - Pick Up

 ¹³ "Pardon me, my lord," Gideon replied, "but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian."

Judges 6:13

It seemed like Gideon had doubts.  If I remember correctly he was the youngest in his family, which was the smallest family.  Later in scripture he asked God for signs or tests with the fleece being wet/dry on the threshing floor.  But no matter what his doubts were he still pressed forward in what God called Him to do.  It almost seemed like he wanted to make sure his ears were in tune rather than questioning what God was saying.

I question my ears all the time.  Was that God speaking to me?  Or worse, I know that was God but I'll do it later.  How awful is that?! The Creator of the universe asks us for somethig and we file the request in the back of our filing cabinet, a post-it on our computers.  When God calls us we really need to think about it and respond... Not perfectly, but to respond.

Father God, forgive me of always rejecting Your calls in my life.  Like caller ID, I see Your number only to end call or let it go to voicemail for when it's convenient for me.  I will learn to pick up ever call You make and do something with it.  

Sent from my iPhone

Loyalties

 ¹⁷Now Sisera fled away on foot to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.
 ¹⁸Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, "Turn aside, my master, turn aside to me! Do not be afraid." And he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug.
 ^19(R)He said to her, "Please give me a little water to drink, for I am thirsty." So she opened a^[b]bottle of milk and gave him a drink; then she covered him.
 ²⁰He said to her, "Stand in the doorway of the tent, and it shall be if anyone comes and inquires of you, and says, 'Is there anyone here?' that you shall say, 'No.'"
 ²¹But Jael, Heber's wife, ^(S)took a tent peg and seized a hammer in her hand, and went secretly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went through into the ground; for he was sound asleep and exhausted. So he died.



Judges 4:17-21


The stories of Deborah and Jael goes a long way.  Deborah, one of Israel's judges was probably the only one that was held in high regards... most (if not all) the others had blemishes on their record.  And Jael, the wife of a Canaan business partner (Heber, the Kenite), was the heroine of the Isralites for killing (and ridiculing) the great Canaan army's general, Sisera.


Sometimes our loyalties will be tested without a moment to think about.  Jael saw the Canaan general fleeing past her when she invited him in with the intention of killing him.  She offered him warm milk (lots of it) instead of the water so that she would be in a perfect position to strike a much bigger enemy.  God will use the most unlikely vessel to accomplish His will.  We cannot be dissuaded just because of our view of ourselves, it's what He desires.


Father God, forgive me for doubting You.  My ways are so limited (not to mentioned plain wrong at times), help me to trust You the way I should.  In Your precious name Lord I pray, Amen!

My Giftings & Calling

 4Now there are (J)varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
 5And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.
 6There are varieties of effects, but the same (K)God who works all things in all persons.
 7But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit (L)for the common good.

1 Corinthians 12:4-7

Paul is encouraging us by clarifying that all servants and gifts are part of Christ's body; all are important to what God is doing.  We cannot value one part of the body or one gifting above the other; all are equally important to God's plans.  

As I was reading God's word this morning, I was reminded of how and why we serve.  For so long I've been trying to fall under God's calling by preparing to lead His flock but I haven't been stewarding those He has placed right before me, my small group.  I make excuses on why my lessons aren't prepared... I'm too busy, or we should just fellowship.  I need to invest in this group and see where God is leading me.  Pray big, that's what we were talking about last week when we met. I've been praying within my abilities, totally not relying on Him.  I need to conduct this small group as it really is, sheep needing a shepherd.  I can't allow my laziness to stunt their group under my direction.  

Father God, please forgive me of continuing to fail You.  Help me become the man of faith, a man of Your heart.  Lead me and pull me away of my agenda.  Teach me the ways that glorify You, not man.  Thank You for all Your continued lessons in this temporary life.  Amen.