Settling

TODAY'S READING: Judges 1, 2, 3; 1 Cor. 12

SCRIPTURE: Judges 2:1-3
¹ The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, “I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, ² and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.’ Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? ³ Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you.”

OBSERVATIONS: I think Judges is the saddest book in the Bible. I never really look forward to reading it. It is full of darkness and perversion. But it serves as a reminder of the consequences of disregarding the Lord and going one's own way. This book starts out recapping what happened after Joshua divided up the land into portions for the tribes. They had already defeated many of the inhabitants but there were still towns and villages that needed to be conquered. It didn't take long after they began to settle in their permanent residences for them to lose the will to fight for their whole inheritance. When they grew to the place where they needed more room, they compromised and did not completely destroy the people of the land as God had instructed them to. Settling down had made them willing to settle for less. The Lord sends an angel to tell them that their disobedience has cost them the advantage of the Lord working on their behalf.

APPLICATION: I see a parallel between the Israelites and me. I can look back at my own life and see that when I have been blessed by God, I want to stay in that comfortable place and not take on any more "battles". Instead of contending for all the promises he has made to me, I am perfectly content to "settle" for the blessings I have already received and to avoid the work of contending for my full inheritance as a child of God. Like the Israelites, God often allows testing and problems to come my way to spur me to the action of seeking him with a fervent heart. I must not allow his blessing and promise of rest to make me spiritually indolent but must maintain my spiritual fervor.

PRAYER: Father, I am truly grateful for all the many blessings you have given me in my life. Forgive me for the times I have taken those as my "right" by refusing to also engage in working with you to overcome the enemy that is at work to destroy the kingdom of God on earth. I never want to become lazy in seeking your will and advancing the kingdom by taking back territory that Satan has claimed for his own. Strengthen my hands and heart for the battles as I work with you to see victory in obtaining the full rights of the inheritance of the saints. Your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. May I settle for nothing less. In Jesus' Name, Amen.