Saturday, May 4, 2019

May 4: Of the Illusion of Self Sufficiency



Judges 19:1-20:48

John 3:22-4:3

Psalm 104:24-35

Proverbs 14:22-24


The tragedy narrated in today's OT reading begins with the verse "In those days Israel had no king."  I am going to cheat a bit and reference tomorrow's reading as well - Judges 21:25, which repeats the verse above, but elaborates a bit more: "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit."  


Israel had ceased to obey, even to acknowledge the Lord.  And so each acted according to his or her own wishes.  Hence we see the unfaithful concubine, the wicked men of Gibeah, the cowards that were the Levite and the owner of the house, the unrepentant Benjamites.  


Guided only by their interests, they made choices which led to tragedy upon tragedy.  A dead woman.  A war within Israel.  Ultimately, the almost complete destruction of the tribe of Benjamin.  


How often have your choices turned out wrong?  How often were you so certain you were making the right choice, only to find you'd made a mistake, and now had to bear consequences you'd not imagined, obstacles you are now unable to overcome?  Contrast this with the Lord the psalmist describes, to whom all creatures look and who gives them "their food at the proper time", so that "they are satisfied with good things".  


Father I confess to a persistent and sinful insistence on my own self sufficiency.  Help me to learn to live with You as my King.  Make my choices for me - set my course, guide my actions.  Help me to look to You, so that I, too, might be "satisfied with good things."

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