I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

• 

Today, I am reading and commenting on Judges 4-6.

We see today the theme of the Book of Judges:

• “The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight.”
• “So, the Lord handed them over to XXX.”
• “Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.”
• The Lord sent a judge to rescue them.

The wording is not always the same, but the theme repeats.  To a degree we see this same pattern occur throughout history.  One or more generations of a people live upright, moral lives.  They attain wealth, and perhaps power. Life is good for them and their children.  A succeeding generation abuses their wealth and power, does evil.  That generation and their children fall on hard times.   If those succeeding generations turn back to God, things become good once more.  If they do not, that people disappears from history.   The funny thing is how people who can see this pattern fail to learn from it.

I have always loved the story of Gideon.  He saw the situation his people were in.  He thought he knew what needed to be done and felt called by God to do it.  But he lacked confidence and asked God to provide him with confirmation of what he believed to be true.  I can relate to that about Gideon.  I struggle with having the confidence to do that to which I believe God is calling me.  This passage tells me that it is OK to ask God to give us confirmation of His calling.  We often overlook an important lesson in Gideon’s story.  Before he went to battle to relieve them from their enemies, he destroyed their idols and led them back to worshiping God.  The first step in overcoming our problems in life is twofold. Turn away from the false gods we worship, the sins we rely upon, and turn to God.  We cannot defeat our “enemies” until we faithfully serve God.