Key Verse: Judges 2:10
When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.

This is one of the saddest verses in the Bible. It should be a warning to us that our faith in God is only one generation away from near extinction. We must invest heavily in the supreme task of communicating the Word of God to future generations.

These two chapters are an overview of what is to come for Israel. Judges tells us of seven cycles of moral corruption from within and subjugation from without by the nations around them. After 40 years of victories under Joshua, Israel now suffers defeat after defeat, also deliverance after deliverance. The very last verse of Judges provides the answer to this inconsistency of serving the God of their fathers. Judges 21:25 tells us that “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” At first glance it sounds good, but this is spiritual anarchy. This is a recipe for disaster. We must do what is right in God’s eyes according to His Word to us.

PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, You’ve given me the desire to read Your Word daily so that I may know what is right in Your eyes. Again and again I pray for the grace to hear Your voice as I read, and then walk in the light that You provide for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen! (as I pray this, I’m thinking of 1 John, chapter 1. Click here).

100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I confess that I felt somewhat discouraged in reading today’s chapters. So I thought, “I’ll turn to the next book in our readings, which is 1 Corinthians.” In chapter one there is much to encourage me, but I also read of divisions in the church. In chapter two, there was encouragement, but chapter three tells me that people are people. There was envy, strife, and they were behaving “like mere men.” God’s mercy and forgiveness was given over and over to Israel when they repented and cried out to Him. I’ve cried out to the Lord again and again since I first decided to follow Jesus 64 years ago as a 16-year-old. He’s forgiven me and restored me. I’ve done an overview of Judges, and I discovered that the people were living right before God most of the time. That gives me reason to be hopeful. Again, the first chapter of 1 John is my “go to” chapter for my life. Here it is again (click here), and then I’ve taken the time this morning to read 1 John chapter two (click here). I’m greatly encouraged now. Judges 2:22 gives the reason God placed Israel in the midst of the ungodly world. It was a test! I pray for grace to pass any test that comes my way. I can testify to the power of Christ, that while I may not be graded at 100%, I definitely am passing my exams, because of Jesus.

Yours for a passing grade, perhaps even honours (I study God’s notes – His Word – daily, and there I find the right answers),

David