October 26 | Judges 10:6-17

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DAILY READING

Judges 10:6-17

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REFLECTION

I'm Sorry

By Mary Alice McGinnis

As a kid, I remember times when my mom made me apologize for something I did against someone. She would say, “Say your sorry to Susan!” I would begrudgingly say, “I’m sorry.”

My mom would respond, “Now say it like you mean it!!”

Regret and remorse are not the same thing. It’s easy to say, “I’m sorry,” perhaps to avoid consequences. But it is indeed something completely different to feel sorrow deep in our hearts over wrongs we have done. Maybe we even think, “God is so kind and merciful, even if I do things bad thing, He will forgive me.”

Just like the Israelites in today’s reading, maybe we cry out to the Lord, “We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving . . . (our own persistent idol of choice).”

Of course, we can never fool God. He sees the depths of our hearts with complete transparency. Even when we fool ourselves into thinking we are sorry, God knows if our hearts are truly repentant. Their words seemed like they were sorry, but their hearts were hardened.

Listen to what the Israelites say the second time. This time, they are completely cut to the heart and say, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best . . .”

This time they surrendered to God’s hand to deal with their sin as He saw best.

Next, they plead, “but please rescue us now.” Even in their surrender, they trusted that God would rescue them.

Finally, their actions matched their words – “Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord.”

Just like a loving parent who must discipline their child for their own good, God came to their aid. “And He could bear Israel’s misery no longer.”

Unfortunately, the Israelites did not stop forsaking God. Over and over in the book of Judges, the people of Israel cycled through this process:

• They abandon God in disbelief and worshipped false gods of the culture around them.

• God sends disaster to the people to turn them from their waywardness.

• The people cry out for God to rescue them.

• God raises up a deliverer, someone filled with the Holy Spirit. They were called Judges.

• The people turn back to God in repentance.

• The people again fall back into idolatry. And the cycle started over.

Where is God speaking to your heart today, inviting you to bring your open, vulnerable, penitent heart to Him. Where is He asking You to turn again to Your only source of hope and deliverance – Jesus Christ. Jesus came to end our cyclical bondage to sin and shame.

1 John 1:8-9 tells us this good news.

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 

PRAYER

Thank You Lord for Your indescribable gift of forgiveness. I don’t want to ever abuse Your grace. Let Your kindness, shown to us most perfectly in sending Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sins, lead us to true repentance.

Lift your heart now in quiet worship through this song.

Holy Water by We the Kingdom

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MARY ALICE MCGINNIS

I began reading the Bible for the first time at the age of 14. When I read the book of Proverbs, I found this collection of practical wisdom both challenging and inspiring. Instead of the typical posters you might find on a teenager’s bedroom walls, my room was splashed with handmade posters - quotes from the book of Proverbs. The Proverbs unique way of expressing deep truths helped lay a foundation in my walk with God.

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October 25 | Judges 3:1-12

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DAILY READING

Judges 3:1-12

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REFLECTION

Tests

By Kathleen Serio

“What prayer requests do we have for this week?”

“I have a test this week”

Each week at High School Ministry as are wrapping up our time in small group this exchange occurs. Without fail one of our girls has a test or a quiz in some subject that is stressing her out. Tests stink. They cause stress, they seem unfair, they take up time, they don’t feel important, and they carry a lot of pressure. They are just unpleasant, and sadly they aren’t something that only happens in school. We all face tests each day, we face evil and temptation. This passage reminds us that God tests us, too. We are reminded that we fail those tests. We are reminded that we fail God.

There is a post I once saw online that jokes about how to sum up the Old Testament of the Bible, it pretty much went like this:

God: Don’t do the things.

People: We won’t do the things.

(later)

People: We did the things.

The pattern repeats itself over and over. We see in the Bible that over and over the Israelites turn from God, are punished, repent, and come back to God. Each and every time they mess up and God forgives them, He gives them another chance. The Israelites not only remind us, and show us how God will test His people, but more so, how He forgives them. When we cry out to God for help, He delivers. Even when we fail our tests and anger God, He is still there, He still listens to our cries, He still saves us. We have been blessed with a loving God who forgives us over and over again. God will give us a second, third, fourth, more than infinite chances. He will forgive us time and time again when we turn to Him. He will never stop granting us opportunities to do better.

PRAYER

God, thank you for the reminder of the Israelites. For the reminder that though you test us, you come to us when we cry out to you. You will always save us.

God help us to turn from evil, to pass the tests we are given, to live the way you want us to.

And God please be with us as we face the tests headed our way. Help us to turn to you for peace and support, and to know that you are always with us.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KATHLEEN SERIO

I grew up at UALC and have been blessed to have many role models in this church. They encouraged me to pursue my passions including volunteering with Young Kids’ VBS, HSM, teaching Sunday School, small groups, Operation Christmas Child, mission trips, ushering, and more. It has been a joy to go from participating in ministries as a kid to becoming a leader as an adult.

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October 24 | Judges 2:8-17

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DAILY READING

Judges 2:8-17

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REFLECTION

How Will They Know?

by Judy Webb

“After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger…” (vv. 10-12)

And here we go again, the vicious circle we humans are prone to practice. The cycle of disbelieving and disobeying God, only to be chastised, humbled to repentance and for a time, we revert to following God’s Word.

Do you find this to be true in your life also? Do you plod through seasons of doubt and mistrust and then something happens in life and once again you turn back to God and beg Him to show you the way back? It all boils down to how we allow idol worship to creep back into our lives. Maybe we don’t worship Baal, but we turn to social media for our entertainment, our self-grandiose devotion. Instead of looking up and all around us and taking our pleasure in all God has created, we keep our heads down and focused on things that don’t matter at all.

We neglect those we are called to love: our children, families and friends and heap attention on strangers. We idolize the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Why? They are strangers, outside our world. Why do we covet their lifestyles, their fame and fortune? Do we think they are better than us, have it easier than we do? In fact, they are most likely poorer than we as they have traded in their personal space, and their privacy, for expensive celebrity status.

Previous verses we have studied in this series remind us to keep telling the story of God’s saving nature. The story of our rescue from slavery and His redeeming work on our behalf. Think back on a time you were lost and cried out to God for help. How did that help arrive? Have you shared that story to your family, your friends and neighbors who need to hear it? There is power in your testimony, and if you don’t tell them, how will they know of God’s amazing love?

PRAYER

Lord,

It is true, if we don't tell them, they might never know your love, your grace, and your forgiveness. Our stories, the testimonies you have given us must be shared with others. We all have stories of seasons in our own lives when You reached down and plucked us out of the path of danger, of evil. Tell those stories to your children and your friends and neighbors so they might know of Your amazing love.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JUDY WEBB

I have been a member of UALC for 26 years and have been writing devotions for this site for about 17 of them. Writing is my passion. As retired staff I still love everything about UALC and its members including my small group.

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