Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!” But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.” Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord.

And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer.

‭‭Judges‬ ‭10‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The heart of God is one of repeated betrayal followed by repeated forgiveness.

His people repeatedly left him to serve other gods despite his miraculous works in their favor.

Stubborn and rebellious, they always ran back to his care and protection and he was merciful.

They merited no favor but he provided it nonetheless.

Not unlike these Old Testament accounts, the New Testament is about Jesus offering salvation and eternal life despite our sinfulness on repeat.

Belief in Christ changes you.

Days of wholesale rejection of God by believers was essentially over, replaced by an orientation to righteousness and obedience.

Not perfect, but now always trying.

That critical shift in our thinking and orientation occurring at the words of what we call ‘the sinner’s prayer’ is all God needs to redeem us and to begin his good work within us.

Old Testament accounts often foreshadow reports in the New Testament.

If you think about it, becoming a follower of Christ and being known as a Christian is probably the best example of ‘names have been changed to protect the innocent.’

But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.

But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭24‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There comes a time when all must take a stand for their beliefs.

Some will identify with false gods and proudly so to their ultimate demise.

As for you and your house, who do you serve and how does that service take shape?

Leading your own tribe obedient to God is a formidable challenge largely dependent upon the character of the leader.

In the workplace, we know that employees don’t quit because of the organization but do quit because of the leader. That’s a lot of pressure.

Truth be told, not all members of my tribe were enamored with my leadership and consequently do not serve my God. It’s my biggest regret and my biggest hope that my current Godly leadership may someday repair.

Freedom of choice is divinely given everyone.

It will lead you to an empty destination or it will lead you to a fullness of passion and purpose.

Either way, leadership is the crucial directing element. And where mistakes have been made, God is the great fixer through Jesus.

Usually I post my Bible study takeaways each morning.
Not today.

For those of you who have adopted these as your morning devotions, thanks and think on this as today’s substitute.

“I am the Lord your God” appears hundreds of times in the first 5 books of the Bible, called the Torah.

The phrase “I am the Lord your God” serves as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and power, and encourages people to trust in God’s ability to provide and deliver, which he demonstrated over and over again.

Most notable, the phrase opens the giving of the 10 commandments.

God’s very personal introduction is the bond he makes with his people. You are included in his reference.

It’s both humbling and satisfying to know the God of the universe establishes his ownership of us so many times with that phrase.

Think on that. I do all the time.

Have a wonderful day today. 

On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”

So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day.

There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭10‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The extended daylight allowed the Israelites a decisive victory over the Amorites and underscored Joshua’s unique relationship with God as an undefeatable ally of Israel.

Not every winning strategy is initiated by God. He allows and welcomes the initiative and wisdom of his people to carry out his will.

All too often we put off decisions in wait to hear from God when he clearly has already equipped us to think and decide prayerfully for ourselves.

Hasty decisions are often those stuck in and overwhelmed with emotions. But if you can reason to a good decision or conclusion, you should. There’s little sense to be made for further delay.

And leave some wiggle room for an unexpected miracle or two provided by God as a reward for your wisdom, boldness and confidence.

So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them.

Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing.

It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off.

So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

They all knew they were to cross the river, yet none knew it would happen in the same way as their Red Sea crossing out of Egypt.

I think we all long to be part of a grand miracle only God could craft. And twice in a lifetime? What a faith-builder!

But blessed is he who has not seen, yet believes.—John 20:29

Today, most of us rely on a spiritual diet consisting of God’s promises and daily provisions we rarely view through a miraculous lens. At least not water-parting miraculous.

But the fact that a perfect creator would seek out and redeem an imperfect creation is kinda miraculous in itself. And that his only condition for the gift of eternal life is to believe it to be true and to act that belief out in our lives is also a bit of a miracle to say the very least.

So until the actual seas part ahead of your journey, humble yourself.

Reframe coincidences, outcomes of your prayers, and rescues against all odds as personal evidences of the living God in your actual life and boldly cross over to the other side on dry land and into your promised land.