The book of Judges describes the nation of Israel through cycles of sin and rebellion against the Lord, to moments of repentance and obedience to the Lord.
Israel would sin, the Lord would allow her enemies to triumph over them. When the people of Israel cried out to the Lord in their oppression in repentance, the Lord sent to them “Judges” who would lead them back to righteousness and sincerity in following their God.
In Judges chapter 6, we meet an unlikely leader, Gideon. When the Lord appears to Gideon, he is hiding in the mountains and caves from the Midianites who were constantly attacking Israel and taking their food supplies.
Judges 6:12-13 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us?
Ever ask that question? “If the Lord truly loves me and cares about me, why then does He allow so many painful and difficult things to happen to me?”
It is true that the Lord loves us far too much to ever allow us to stay in sin for too long. From the moment that we begin on a journey into sin, the Lord has already formulated a plan to draw us away from its deception and bring us back to Himself. The only reason He allows conflict, oppression, heartache and trials to chasten us, is to draw us back to Him.
Sin looks great at a distance. It is one of the most attractive elements of life on the earth. It is also very deceptive. Once you become immersed in sin, it fools you into thinking that you are happier than you were before you began. After awhile you realize just how empty and unsatisfying sin is and wonder how you ever went this far.
When Israel went into sin, the Lord was eagerly waiting for the moment when His kids would cry out to Him. How much He wanted to rescue them. How much He wanted for them to have a better and more satisfying life. But He waits for us to want Him. He waits for us to return to Him. When we do, He runs to us and welcomes us back home once again.
Luke 15:20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
What kind of Father is this who is so full of Grace and Mercy that He Delights in the day of our coming to the end of ourselves and once again desire to be with Him? When we repent, He graciously forgives us and restores us immediately back to a place of blessing. A son never ceases being a son. A daughter never stops being a daughter. Though the children of the King rebel against their Father, and though He may be angry for a time, He never stops loving them as their Father.
Hosea 6:1 Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
In today’s walk with the Lord, remember that when you sin, He still loves you. He is for you, not against you. It hurts Him tremendously to see how sin robs you of joy, peace and the blessings of life. He waits and watches for you to return to Him and once again desire all that your great God has for you.
If today you have started down the wrong road, or if you do so in the future, remember that you are never more than a few words spoken from the quiet voice of your lips, to return to Him and again experience the fullness of life He has in store for you.
Rob Robinson
