JUDGES 21:25
When something did not go her way, Joy became irritated with her friend and said cruel things to her. Then she completely ignored the Holy Spirit when He reminded her of a passage in the Bible that instructed us to act in a loving and compassionate manner. Was the emotional pain she was inflicting worth her wrath and pride? No way! She had hurt her friend a lot by the time she apologised to her. She had disregarded God and lived as though she had total control.
There was a time when the Israelites struggled with such an attitude. Joshua took charge of the Israelites’ entry into the promised land after Moses’ death. He led them to devotion with God. He died, though, and the people moved on after a while. They lost sight of God and His deeds. They disregarded the direction of God and followed their own inclinations.
The lack of leadership was a crucial factor in the decline. God appointed judges, who resembled kings in certain ways, and this made things better. But the Israelites again disregarded God after the passing of each judge. Due to their poor decisions, they had to endure great anguish by living only for themselves. However, our lives do not have to be that kind of a story. The decision to live for God is ours! Because Jesus is our living judge and the King of kings, we are meant to follow Him.
The pain of living just for ourselves is never worth it.
🙏🏼Lord Jesus, help us live for You – our King.
