Reading: Judges 1–6

Today we step into the book of Judges and watch what happens when God’s people stop short of full obedience. Joshua is gone, the tribes are in the land, and chapter 1 opens with a question that sounds hopeful on the surface but hides a problem underneath. The people ask the Lord who should go up first to fight, but as the chapter unfolds they do not fully finish the work God gave them. Instead of driving out the nations as He commanded, they leave pockets of resistance in place. Those compromises seem small in the moment, but they will grow into thorns in their sides and snares to their hearts.

Chapters 2 and 3 show the tragic pattern that repeats again and again. A new generation rises that does not remember what God has done. They turn to the Baals and the Asherahs, and God allows surrounding nations to press them hard. When the pain finally gets their attention, they cry out, and the Lord raises up judges like Othniel and Ehud to rescue them. God is not indifferent to their groaning. He is moved to pity and steps in to save, even when the people have been stubborn and unfaithful. Still, as soon as the judge dies, they slide right back into the same old sins.

We also meet Deborah, Barak, Jael and a cruel Canaanite commander named Sisera. God uses an unexpected team to bring victory, and then Deborah sings a song that reads like a battlefield commentary and a worship service woven together. Some tribes step up in faith. Others hang back and stay comfortable. The battle is the Lord’s, but He still invites His people to take their place on the field. It is a good reminder that God can work through anyone who trusts Him, and that sitting on the sidelines is its own kind of decision.

By chapter 6, the Midianites are choking the life out of Israel. Crops are ruined, people are hiding in caves, and hope feels thin. Into that setting God calls Gideon, a man who sees himself as the least in the weakest clan. The angel of the Lord greets him as a mighty warrior, which sounds almost comical given where Gideon is standing and what he is doing. But God is not describing Gideon as he feels. He is naming Gideon according to what God will do through him. Even Gideon’s famous fleece test shows how patient the Lord is with fearful hearts. God meets Gideon where he is and leads him forward one step at a time.

There is a line in chapter 1 that hovers over the whole book: they did not drive them out completely. That one phrase explains so much of the pain that follows. Partial obedience is really disobedience with a nicer name. The same thing can happen with us. We might agree with God in general but leave a few corners of life untouched, a few habits or alliances we are not ready to surrender. Judges invites us to ask where we have stopped short and to trust that God’s grace is big enough not only to forgive our past failures but also to help us finish the work He has put in front of us.

If you would like to dig a little deeper into why God told Israel to drive out the Canaanites and what happened when they did not, there is a helpful overview at GotQuestions.org. You can also read today’s passage online at BibleGateway.

In the On This Date in Church History segment we remember three snapshots that all point in different ways to the work of God in His people. In 1892, Charles Spurgeon stepped into the pulpit of the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London for what would be his final sermon there. We also mark the 1919 birth of Billy Graham in Charlotte, North Carolina, and reflect on the way his evangelistic ministry continued to echo through the twentieth century and beyond. And we visit 1960, when the first combined edition of The Chronicles of Narnia arrived in time for Christmas and helped generations of readers see the gospel with fresh eyes.

If you are ever near Charlotte, visiting the Billy Graham Library can be a meaningful way to trace the story of that ministry and to be reminded of God’s faithfulness across a lifetime of service. You can learn more at the library’s official site or plan a visit through the Billy Graham Library website.

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You can leave a comment or prayer request at comment.lifespringmedia.com, or call or text the Lifespring Family Hotline at 951-732-8511. I am grateful that you invite me into your day, and my prayer is that as we read through the Bible together, the Lord will continue to strengthen your faith, deepen your love for His word, and help you finish the good works He has prepared for you.