Devotion time in Judges

There may be some of you on the 52 week Bible reading plan that is on our blog site? Devotion time this week has been in Judges 12-16. In the book of Judges one reads this phrase quite often "they did evil in the sight of the LORD." Isn't that the core problem with the heart of man? There are many verses that affirm this about man but here are several.

Genesis 6:5 - Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Jeremiah 17:9 - "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick..."

Romans 3:10 - "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
Romans 3:11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
Romans 3:12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."

And instead of God exacting His justice by sending a lightning bolt or fire from heaven instead He provides them with a judge. And when these different judges come into power they restore peace to the region and defeat the enemies of Israel. God gives to His own people what they do not deserve, and what do we call that? We call that GRACE and define it as unmerited favor. In the book of Judges you see this continuing pattern, because of their evil the people deserve death and instead God provides to them grace upon grace.

Folks we are no different than those Israelites who were rebelling, worshiping false gods, being sinful and evil. Therefore should God exact His rightful justice on us, in which we would immediately be judged, condemned and sent to an eternal hell. But instead God sends His only begotten Son to absorb the wrath of God for you and me that He did not deserve, and in turn credits to our heavenly account the righteousness of His that we do not deserve. What? Christ gets all my sin and in turn I get all His righteousness! Sometimes in evangelical circles this is called the "great exchange." What do we call that? How about AMAZING GRACE!

Do you see how the book of Judges points us to the One who would eventually come and save us permanently? The Lord Jesus came and defeated our two greatest enemies which are sin and death. He pays in full the penalty of all your sin, past-present-future and also defeats the power of sin. Or as Major Ian Thomas used to say "the life that He lived qualified Him for the death that He died, but the death that He died qualifies us to live now the life that He lived then."

How often do you think, meditate and preach the gospel to yourself? What do you and I deserve? Instead what has God the Father so lovingly and willingly provided? I pray we would see His grace more abundantly, meditate on it more passionately, and live it out among those that God puts in our sphere of influence more consistently!

Blessings,