5/27/2020— Judges 1-2

By May 27, 2020 Devotion

每日诗歌:no one ever cared for me like Jesus ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ejs2o-uhu4

每日读经:士师记1-2 

(https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judges+1&version=CUVS )

每日金句:

士2:16-19 耶和华兴起士师,士师就拯救他们脱离抢夺他们人的手。 17 他们却不听从士师,竟随从叩拜别神,行了邪淫,速速地偏离他们列祖所行的道,不如他们列祖顺从耶和华的命令。 18 耶和华为他们兴起士师,就与那士师同在。士师在世的一切日子,耶和华拯救他们脱离仇敌的手。他们因受欺压扰害,就哀声叹气,所以耶和华后悔了。 19 及至士师死后,他们就转去行恶,比他们列祖更甚,去事奉叩拜别神,总不断绝顽梗的恶行。

每日问题:

1. 我的信仰是不是停滞不前?

每日灵修:

士师记 1-2 是约书亚记的总结,也是士师记的开始, 以色列历史上的新篇章。 士师记2:16-19 让我们清楚地看到以色列将长期陷入的恶劣循环。 1) 以色列离开神 2)以色列被另一个国家压迫 3)以色列向上帝呼求 4)神兴起了士师来拯救他们 5)以色列转向神。。。 并且循环重复。以色列进入低迷。这个词,“低迷”是从google translate 翻译的,不知道在中文里头是不是这样使用。 大概的意思就是“不活动,停滞或沮丧的状态或时期 ”。 以色列陷于困境,他们无法独自摆脱这个循环。很容易批评以色列人说“他们为什么就不能一直跟从神呢?”

可是呢,这种模式也可以在我自己的生活中看到。1) 我感觉很靠近神 2)开始骄傲或者变得太舒服了 3)我因自己的罪而堕落 4). 呼求神来救我  5)神又把我带到义路, 让后又到了第一步了。。。 那我能怎么办呢?保罗在罗马书7:24-25问一样的问题  “ 我真是苦阿,谁能救我脱离这取死的身体呢?感谢神,靠着我们的主耶稣基督就能脱离了。这样看来,我以内心顺服神的律。我肉体却顺服罪的律了。” 就像以色列人无法自救一样,我也无法救我自己。可是我相信神,靠着我们 的 主 耶 稣 基 督 就 能 脱 离 我以前的捆绑。 没有神,我是永远地被困, 有神我就永远地被释放。

祷告:

亲爱的天父,打开我的眼睛让我可以清楚的看到我自己的情况。 让我看到在我生活上那些需要被磨成像你的形象的地方。 帮助我继续在你里面成长, 不要停滞。 感谢你差耶稣来救我! 阿们!

Daily Verseses:

Judges 2:16-19  Then the Lord raised up judges,[h] who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

Daily Question:

  1. Am I stagnant in my faith?

Daily Devotion:

Judges 1-2 gives us the conclusion of Joshua’s time with the Israelites, and the beginning of the age of the Judges, a new chapter in Israel’s history. Judges 2: 16-19 gives us the big picture of the cycle that Israel will be stuck in for a long time. 1) Israel turns from God. 2) Israel is oppressed by another country 3) Israel cries out to God 4) God raises a judge to save Israel 5) Israel turns to God. And the cycle repeats. Israel is stuck in the doldrums. Doldrums: a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or depression. The Google translation of doldrums is低迷. Israel is stuck and they cannot get out of the cycle by themselves. It’s easy to judge the Israelites, saying “why can’t they just follow God?”

But, this pattern can also be seen in my own life. I often fall into my own doldrums. 1) I feel like I’m close to God, 2) then I get prideful or I get too comfortable 3)I fall to my own sin 4) I cry out to God to save me 5) God brings me back to Him and then back to step 1 again. So what do we do? Paul asks the same thing in Romans 7:24-25 “ Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” Although I, like the Israelites cannot pull myself out of the doldrums, I can trust that God, through Jesus has saved me and will continue to bring me closer to Him. Without Him, I am eternally stuck, with Him I am eternally free.

Daily Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, Open my eyes to myself. Help me see areas of my life that need to be molded into your image. Help me to continue growing in You and not remain stagnant. Thank you for sending Jesus to save me! Amen!