March 27 – Reading 86

MARCH 27 – Reading 86

by John Christian Pra | March 27

“SAVE US! AGAIN!”
(Judges 10:6 – 12:7)

“And the people of Israel said to the LORD, ‘We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.’ So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.” – Judges 11:15-16

How many times have you been saved? Growing up, I lost track. I remember never really being sure if I was saved or not and being in a state of fear concerning my relationship with Jesus. As a result of my insecurity, I found myself constantly at altar calls or lifting up my hands in a response to a preacher’s call for salvation. I remember the feeling after falling into sin and thinking that God left me so I needed to get saved again. 

This sense of uncertainty is common for many people in their journey with God, especially early on as we struggle against sin in our lives and learn to grasp the depth of God’s love for us. The same was true for the Israelites. They constantly found themselves falling into sinful patterns that pushed God away and threatened to sever their relationship with Him. But something interesting happened each time they turned back to God with confession and repentance: He healed them of their sin. He restored them and loved them and showed mercy towards them. In this passage, it says “he became impatient over the misery of Israel” (Judges 11:16). God Himself is impatiently waiting to forgive and cleanse us! 

Israel was always getting themselves into trouble. Throughout today’s reading, we saw the brokenness of the people that God called His own. Maybe you relate to Israel more than you care to admit. You are stuck in sin, shame, and brokenness feeling like God is on the verge of abandoning you because of your inability to get it together. However, the revealed image of God in this Scripture is not of a father waiting to cast us out once we sin, but of a father who is waiting for us to come to Him and cry out for help. 

Simple Truth:
Today, you might find yourself in sin again, wondering if you are truly even saved. The good news is that the love of Jesus isn’t faithless like we are (2 Timothy 2:13). He waits for us to turn back to Him. So will you turn back to Him today? Will you confess and repent and turn away from your sin? Jesus is waiting for you.

Reflections:

• What do you believe God thinks of you after you sin? Do you believe he desires to draw near or pushes us away?

• Are you insecure in your relationship with God?

• What areas in your life are you pushing God away from? Invite Him into those spaces.

Application: 

• Sin separates us from God and severs our relationship with Him.

• God is always desiring to show mercy and forgiveness towards us.

• The love of Jesus is consistent and faithful, not turning on and off based off of our every sin. 

• Confession and repentance restores our communion with Jesus.

Closing Prayer: 
Father, I come today recognizing my sinfulness and need of salvation. I confess that I often push you away and seek lesser things. Jesus, I ask today that you would come and show me mercy. Let your love flow deep within my heart through the Holy Spirit – help me grasp your love for me and know that I am your child. Help me constantly turn to you throughout this day, so I will not find myself wandering. Thank you for being faithful even when I am faithless. I love you Jesus, thank you for loving me.