Year of the Bible: Part Five of Twelve Sample

I’m Sure I Can Figure This Out Myself

The sad and very last phrase in the book of Judges states again that “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” That is the segue into the book of Ruth which says in the first sentence “In the days when the judges ruled” there was no king but God.

God's purpose was that the people would listen to His voice, follow His law in obedience, and trust Him for His guidance, safety, and provision. In the cyclical season of the judges, the people would turn away from the Lord and experience a wilderness of defeat, only to turn back and experience His blessings, and then repeat the pattern over and over.

In those days, rather than press closer to the Lord in believing prayer during a famine, one particular Israelite left the land God promised and went to Moab, a neighboring nation who had always been one of Israel’s enemies. There, this man Elimelech lost his life as did his two sons, leaving his widow Naomi with two daughters-in-law.

Elimelech tried to solve his problems by fleeing with his family to a neighboring enemy nation. He never checked in with God for direction, a mistake that eventually cost him everything.

Question: When faced with a challenge, do you first ask God for wisdom, or do you automatically try to "fix it?"

Prayer: Turn to God for every challenge you face today and during this season. Confess your pride that would cause you to rely on your own intelligence and abilities. Acknowledge your need of the Lord’s help, guidance, and wisdom in each of them.