Date: 04-02-2021

Title: Saddest Words In The Bible

(S) cripture:
    Judges 16:20 (NLT2) Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the LORD had left him.

(O) bservation:
    After three failed attempts by Delilah to have Sampson captured because of his deception as to the source of his strength, Samson told her the truth. On the previous three attempts Sampson rose and broke what bound him because of the Lord’s presence and power. On this final time he rises and thinks things are just like they had always been but “he didn’t realize the Lord had left him“. For me, those words are the saddest words in the Bible.

(A) pplication:
    Sampson was set apart at birth by God with a Nazarite vow. That vow came with some stipulations that were not to be broken. In the story of Samson’s life, we see him compromising some of those standards. The final compromise came with revealing to Delilah the true source of his strength. Compromising who we are called to be in Christ is a scary thing. Even though now, because of the death and resurrection of Jesus and our faith in Him, the Lord does not leave us, we still do experience the loss of his power in our lives. Compromise is a good thing in the political realm but in our following of the Lord it is disastrous. Today I want to follow Jesus fully and without compromise. I want to be and live as he called me to be and live.

(P) rayer:
    Lord, make me aware of when I am tempted to compromise who you have called me to be and let me fully follow you alone. Hear my confession when I stray and thank you for your forgiveness that allows me to fully follow again. Amen

Date: 04-01-2021

Title: Foolish Vows

(S) cripture:
    Judges 11:29-35 (NLT2) At that time the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he went throughout the land of Gilead and Manasseh, including Mizpah in Gilead, and from there he led an army against the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. He said, “If you give me victory over the Ammonites, 31 I will give to the LORD whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” 32 So Jephthah led his army against the Ammonites, and the LORD gave him victory. 33 He crushed the Ammonites, devastating about twenty towns from Aroer to an area near Minnith and as far away as Abel-keramim. In this way Israel defeated the Ammonites. 34 When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy. She was his one and only child; he had no other sons or daughters. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish. “Oh, my daughter!” he cried out. “You have completely destroyed me! You’ve brought disaster on me! For I have made a vow to the LORD, and I cannot take it back.”

(O) bservation:
    In asking God to give him victory over the Ammonites, Jephthah made a quick and foolish vow to the Lord. He would make a sacrifice of whatever first came out of his house when he returned from victory. On the surface it sounds like a good and proper vow to make. Trouble came when his only daughter was the first to come from his house. You can hear the anguish in his heart and yet he kept this foolish vow.

(A) pplication:
    We, too, often make quick and foolish vows or promises to God. We do so to gain his blessing or favor. We do not consult with the Lord about our plans we just move forward and promise him something if he blesses us. Our promises often have dire unforeseen consequences and then we find ourselves trying to bargain with the Lord to avoid keeping the vow or we just pass it off as nothing important and ignore it completely. Scripture tells us it is better not to vow than to vow and not keep it (Ecclesiastes 5:5). Today I will be cautious with my promises and careful to keep them when they are made.

(P) rayer:
    Lord, remind me to consult with you before I make any vow or promise to You or another. Grant me the courage and strength to keep the promises I make. Amen