Judges – Chapter 2

Judges 2 Daily DEVO And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel. Judges 2:10 – This next generation that’s to come won’t remember the struggles of dial up internet. They won’t be able to appreciate the magnitude of how something like 9/11 changed our country because they weren’t there. They won’t even know all the things you went through in your own life that God carried you through….unless you tell them about it. This passage illustrates how important it is that we share the goodness and salvation of God with this next generation. Whether we like it or not, some things in culture won’t be passed on to the next generation, we though can’t let a faithful walk with God be one of those things left behind. Share your story with God with everyone you can to make sure this next generation not only knows God but follows God deeper than we ever did! I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 582

Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress. Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. Judges 2:15-16 – As a result of their sin and choices they were in terrible distress from their enemies. In that season of distress God raises up judges, or leaders, for them that would guide them to victory in battle and union with God. What we don’t see here is a crying out to God in their distress, yet God still moved on their behalf. As with Romans 5:8, while they were still in their sin God sent a rescue. In your story remember that long before you knew you needed a Savior and long before your reached out to that Savior, God was working everything out for you to be with Him. He chose you before you even knew you could choose Him. So if you’re feeling distant from God today and are hesitant to lean back after Him because you are unsure of how He’ll respond, listen to the truth this passage tells us. God deeply wants you back and has been clearing the path for you to return to Him. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1785

As soon as the angel of the Lord spoke these words to all the people of Israel, the people lifted up their voices and wept. Judges 2:4 – God’s people broke the agreement they had with God. God promised He would provide for them land and rid the land of their enemies as long as they would follow Him and make no agreements with the people in the land He was giving them. The people though did the very thing God said not to do, and God gave them the punishment He said would come for breaking His command. He would no longer drive their enemies out. As a result of that message, the people of Israel wept loudly. While this is a solid step for the people, to be remorseful of the mistakes we’ve made against God, we see quickly in the later verses that remorse of sin was all this was. There was no repentance of sin, no turning away from the wrong to begin doing right. They felt bad about the sin, but they didn’t change their ways to begin following God. Let us understand God is seeking repentance from our sin, not simply remorse of our sin. Yes, God wants us to see the wrong of our sin and be sorry that we sinned against such a loving God, but beyond that God desires us to forever turn away from the sin to never commit it again. How often then has repentance been your reaction to the sin in your story? Or has there been more just a remorse for doing wrong, but then later you decided to go right back to the sin you once were so sorry about doing. Know I’m not saying we aren’t allowed to struggle and that if we ever make a future mistake we’re messed everything up with God, but our posture towards sin ought to be one of turning away from it as often as sin arises. With Jesus dying so we could be free of sin’s grip, let’s choose a life of turning away from such sinful things. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2858