The hand of the Lord was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them. They were in great distress. Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them – Judges 2:12-15
One of the overarching themes in the book of Judges (and too often in our experience) is the downward spiral of disobedience. This cycle draws us deep into distress until we call out to God for deliverance. Take a moment and read judges 2:10-16 to see this whole cycle unfold.
The downward cycle starts when a generation of people disregard the Lord and are ignorant about the mighty things God has done (2:10) This ignorance of God leads to disobedience and cultural compromise, characterized by an idolatrous lifestyle that looks just like the world (2:12-13). This Disobedience results in defeat because it sets people against God. As a result God gives them over to their enemies and allows them to be plundered. He does this to chastise us and help us realize our need for Him (2:14-15). The final stage in this downward spiral in distress. This is the low point in the process. It’s when we come to the end of ourselves and finally turn back to God. Unfortunately, we never seem to realize until it’s too late that disobedience only leaves us defenseless and rebellion means we won't be able to resist the enemy. Ultimately we need God to raise up a deliverer for us who can save us from the enemy. We need Jesus!
So the key to stopping the downward spiral is to prevent it from ever starting. We do this by not disregarding God’s Word. By reading the Bible regularly we keep the mighty works of God fresh in our minds. This helps us love, appreciate and obey Jesus. If you’re already in the spiral, don't wait to hit bottom. Cry out to God for deliverance right now, asking Him to reveal any areas of disobedience in your life.
One of the overarching themes in the book of Judges (and too often in our experience) is the downward spiral of disobedience. This cycle draws us deep into distress until we call out to God for deliverance. Take a moment and read judges 2:10-16 to see this whole cycle unfold.
The downward cycle starts when a generation of people disregard the Lord and are ignorant about the mighty things God has done (2:10) This ignorance of God leads to disobedience and cultural compromise, characterized by an idolatrous lifestyle that looks just like the world (2:12-13). This Disobedience results in defeat because it sets people against God. As a result God gives them over to their enemies and allows them to be plundered. He does this to chastise us and help us realize our need for Him (2:14-15). The final stage in this downward spiral in distress. This is the low point in the process. It’s when we come to the end of ourselves and finally turn back to God. Unfortunately, we never seem to realize until it’s too late that disobedience only leaves us defenseless and rebellion means we won't be able to resist the enemy. Ultimately we need God to raise up a deliverer for us who can save us from the enemy. We need Jesus!
So the key to stopping the downward spiral is to prevent it from ever starting. We do this by not disregarding God’s Word. By reading the Bible regularly we keep the mighty works of God fresh in our minds. This helps us love, appreciate and obey Jesus. If you’re already in the spiral, don't wait to hit bottom. Cry out to God for deliverance right now, asking Him to reveal any areas of disobedience in your life.
Posted in devo