Good morning, I hope you are enjoying these daily devotionals as much as I enjoy writing them to you. Today we will read Judges 3-5.
Immune to trials
People often wonder why we must go through so many trials in our lives. It is natural for parents to want our children’s lives to be perfect and stress free.
There is a line in the Pixar movie Nemo, where Marlin, Nemo’s overprotective father, states he wouldn’t want his son to face any dangers. Dori, the absent minded fish he was getting help from, states, “then he would never do anything!” She is right.
This is like allowing our children to get dirty and play in the mud. It is disgusting, but the exposure helps strengthen their immune systems.
Over vaccinating ourselves has resulted in compromised immune systems. A study from the National Library of Medicine supports this (1). As does a report by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. (2) Other reports refute that evidence, such as the Medical News Today report. (3)
My belief is that God designed our immune systems, and stress from germs strengthens them. There are limitations to this, but the evidence and natural processes back the theory.
Judgment of war
Likewise, war is a reality. There has always been warfare, and until we reach the last peace described in Revelation, we will continue to deal with this scourge. Verse 3:2 implies that God gave wars to the people of Israel to equip them with the tools for triumph under challenging circumstances.
Verse 4 states it is also to test if they will obey God and trust in Him, or if they will try to create alliances for themselves. We see a couple of verses later they did the latter and took daughters into marriage and gave their daughters. This resulted, as forewarned, in them chasing after the foreign gods such as Baal and Asherah. This is evil in the eyes of God.
The Lord is faithful and after allowing them to be strengthened through these experiences, He always rescues them. We see a string of deliverers, including Ehud. The treachery of how he slew Eglon is graphic and viscous.
Avoid easy street
Life is hard. It is supposed to be. Easy life breeds weak people. Easy faith creates weak faith.
Only when we embrace the Lord’s commands, even when they seem brutal to us, do we prosper? When we don’t slaughter all the enemies, they infect us. This leads to idolatry and the cycle repeats.
When they kill all the Moabites, they have eighty years of peace. This is how we must fight battles. Not to find a stalemate, a peace accord. But, to achieve a lasting victory.
Strong women
The Bible is clear about not having women lead men. I enjoy seeing strong women in these chapters. The prophetess Deborah gets credit for leading the victory because Barak was not willing to do so without her.
Jael proves women can be lethal. Her service to God is commendable to everyone other than Sisera and his mother.
My third point is from the Song of Deborah. The opening verse teaches that when leaders lead, people will follow. So many initiatives base themselves on the populace making sacrifices, while the ruling class remains exempt. Instead of loyalty, contempt follows.
God’s heart is with the leaders and with the willing volunteers. Requiring service, dictating giving or compliance, does not drive people to give of themselves.
Peace for our children
Those who give to the Lord with a grateful heart will be like the sun, the song concludes. Peace will last forty years.
As a grandfather, I would love to see a world where my grandkids could grow up in peace. The thought of their safety eclipsed all other concerns, even the certainty of future loss.
The pathway to a peaceful future is obeying God. It has to start on an individual level. What are a few things in your life you could repent of to help show your allegiance to Jesus Christ?
(2). Immune System and Vaccines | Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
(3). Does the COVID-19 vaccine weaken the immune system? What to know
