“…the Israelites again did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord turned them over…” – Judges 4:1-2
“Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord for help.” – Judges 4:3
It’s a cycle. We wake up, get dressed, eat food, go about our day, then go back to sleep.
After we sleep, we wake up, get dressed, eat food, go about our day… and so it goes. Some routines are good for us, like sleeping (you’re supposed to get 8+ hours each night!) It’s also good to eat food (and drink water, too!) However, that whole part where we “go about our day” is a little more complicated. Some routines in our day can be good for us (physically, spiritually, relationally, emotionally, etc.) and other parts of our day can lead us astray (away from God’s design for our life).
As we read about God’s people (the Israelites) in the book of Judges – and really ALL throughout the Old Testament – we see a similar routine (or cycle) in their lives.
They worship God, they forget God (or grow tired of following his ways), go off in their own direction, do evil (put “other things” before God) and soon suffer the consequences of their decision. Then, realizing their mistake, they cry out to God (and turn back toward their creator) for help! God comes to the rescue, so they worship him and give him praise… but then after some time passes, they soon grow tired (or forgetful) of God’s ways and go off in their own direction again… and so the cycle continues…
Bad news: Just like the Israelites of long ago, we also face temptations (every day) to place other things (people, possessions, power, pride, etc.) ahead of God, and when we do, the consequences soon follow…
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” – Romans 3:23
“…the wages of sin is death.” – Romans 6:23
Good news: Despite our mistakes, God still hears our cries for help (and comes to the rescue!)
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” – Romans 5:6
So today, if you’re feeling “stuck” (overwhelmed, outnumbered, or exhausted) in the cycle of life, cry out to God for help! Turn to him in prayer.
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6
“I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.” – 1 John 5:13-15
Question for reflection:
- What is ONE thing you could change about your daily routine to help you better prioritize your relationship with God today?