Judges 7:1-8:17
Luke 23:13-43
Psalm 97:1-98:9
Proverbs 14:7-8
Reflecting on today's readings, two thoughts came to me. The first had to do with victory. Gideon's troops faced long odds - odds God made even longer by trimming their ranks from an overmatched 32,000, to what most certainly should have been an overwhelmed 300. But with that 300, because they fought as God ordered, God went before them and their victory was assured - despite their meager ranks.
The second thought had to do with forgiveness. If you are anything like me, you deal with persistent sin - sin that, no matter how good one's intentions are, no matter how resolute one's repentance, no matter how firm one's decision to turn over a new leaf, keeps recurring. And if you're like me, sometimes you find yourself wondering: doesn't God ever get so frustrated as to say "I give up"? The answer came somewhat obliquely today, reading about the two criminals crucified next to Jesus. They were not without blame or guilt; they were rightfully being punished for the crimes they'd committed. The amazing thing is that, even at death's door, after a life of crime and sin, God's forgiveness was available...all one criminal had to do was repent and ask.
Today, so much is going on to give a Christian reason for fear and despair - from the riots in Ferguson and Baltimore, to the attacks on Christians both in the middle east and right here in America, there is more than enough reason to feel like one of the 300 awaiting an attack by the multitudes. The good news is we do not fight alone, and our God goes before us. The even better news is that not only is our God prepared to forgive our sins, His mercy is more than enough to forgive the sins of those who oppress us.
And if those who oppress Christians were to turn their hearts back to God and receive His forgiveness? That would be a victory worth seeing.
No comments:
Post a Comment