Daily Devotion

A few months ago, my friend Dave Shields introduced me to a great book by Edmund Clowney, The Unfolding Mystery. In it, Clowney reminds us that although the Bible is God’s story and salvation is his work, men and women are not merely spectators. God calls us to act, and we, in turn, trust him to act on our behalf. But God seldom acts all at once. Here’s how Clowney puts it:

Today, we are going to walk with a woman named Naomi, who has experienced similar pain. Life left her overwhelmed by grief, anxiety, and fear. She was spiritually exhausted, worn out in body and soul, and wrestling with many questions about how God was working in her life. Her questions are all too common: “Where is God in my pain?” and “How can I trust him in my pain?”

Weekend Recharge!

Weekend Recharge!

I think Samson is one of the most intriguing characters in the Old Testament. Consider his life: First, Samson is often alone, with no friends. Second, when God’s Spirit comes upon him, Samson is supernaturally strong. Early in his life, “the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him” (Judg. 13:25). Ultimately, his death becomes the most significant moment in his life story.

Let’s review the nation of Israel’s recurring cycle described in the book of Judges: rebellion, oppression, crying out to God, deliverance, peace, and then relapse, only to repeat the cycle. Samson’s story begins during a forty-year period of Philistine oppression. God heard the people’s cries, appeared to a woman who had been unable to have children, and promised her a son who was to lead Israel.

Currently, in our devotional series, God’s Story in God’s People, we are focusing on the leaders of Israel after they conquered the promised land—first the judges, then the kings. The first judge was Othniel, followed by Ehud (known for being left-handed), Shamgar, and Deborah. We have been studying the fifth judge, Gideon.

The book of Judges describes how God’s people repeatedly fall into a cycle of sin. They rebel against God, face oppression from their enemies, cry out to him in despair, and God listens and rescues them. For a while, they live in peace, but then they fall back into rebellion, and the cycle begins again.

Let’s be honest—too often, we trust our own ability to choose what’s best. And speaking for myself, when I decide based on my desires rather than on what God wants me to do, my own judgment usually puts me in a risky position. Here’s why. Scripture tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jer. 17:9). Turns out, we are our own worst counselors. There is an entire book of the Bible that clearly confirms this.