Modern Day Israelites.

We read through Judges yesterday. It is basically a story about how God constantly came through for the Israelites. Whenever God put a judge in charge of them, everything went well. But as soon as the judge died, everything went crazy again! They started worshipping gods again, they would start doing all sorts of naughty things. Then enemies would start attacking.. Finally after God can't take watching His children tormented anymore, He delivered them. Then he would institute another judge.

The reason for their continual tendency to fall back in to sin is because they failed to do what God commanded them in Joshua, to wipe out all of the inhabitants of Canaan. In nearly every territory the Israelites left small pockets of enemy heathen nations. This is why every time there was no Judge to rule over them they went back to worshipping gods and idols. It was because of the influence of small pockets of heathens in their lands that they were influenced to sin again.. The nations that they left.. the small pockets of heathens.

As I was reading through Judges it annoyed me that they kept going back to the same stupid things. They kept sinning, no matter how many amazing things they saw God do. I couldn't understand.. Then I realized.. We are modern day Israelites. God was constantly delivering them and they are constantly turning from Him. They are constantly turning back to gods and idols. and turning back to their sin! It isn't necessarily as obvious in our case. But we do it! We do the same thing! We turn back to our idols and our sin time and time again! It's because We failed to obey God and totally remove the enemy from our lives. We let sin sit in the seat right next to us.. instead of throwing it off as far as we can.. we pick it up and gently place it right next to ourselves.. Why is it so surprising that it so easily just waltzes back into our lives?!

Ah.. now I'm annoyed with myself..

But, an even more outstanding fact that I noticed in Judges is God's patience! He will endlessly wait for us! He will continue to deliver us no matter how stupid we are. Not matter how disobedient we are. No matter how many times we turn on Him. and He'll keep giving us opportunities to completely obliterate the little pockets of that heathen nation that we leave in our lives.. He is sitting there looking at us, grieving, wondering when we'll figure it out..

He is so faithful..

Please pray that I wouldn't be over-whelmed by the teaching or work load. Pray that I would have energy and joy. Pray for my health too! :) Thanks

-Josh