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Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Judges 21:25 (CSB): “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him.”
Reflecting on God’s Word
Today, we finished reading the book of Judges!
It’s filled with stories, so it’s easy to read. But if you were paying attention, there were more than a few places where we shook our heads in disgust at what we were reading.
The writer ends the book with Judges 21:25 as if to explain how humanity could behave so badly.
Judges 21:25 (CSB): “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever seemed right to him.”
People did whatever they wanted to do because there wasn’t a king to tell them any different. There was no authority to appeal to, so everyone did whatever seemed “right” to them.
We see this simple principle in the world around us. If the police are taken away and the judicial system dishes out nothing but grace, then crime will escalate. Since no substantive authority will enforce compliance with the laws, people will be free to do whatever they wish. And given the depravity of the human heart, morality will fall off a cliff.
American democracy has been an incredible experiment. We are just about as free as anyone in the world’s history. But this has only been possible because our citizens have, to some extent, been able to self-govern. One of our founding fathers noted that if we ever lose the ability to self-govern, then we would simultaneously begin to lose our freedoms.
Did you notice in this quote that self-governance is rooted in morality and religion? John Adams based our ability to self-govern on a commonly agreed-upon code of conduct.
So, as Christians, how can we “govern ourselves?” To what do we appeal to determine what is right and wrong? To whom can we seek the power to make good on achieving the right and abstaining from the wrong?
Simply put, we submit to the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ and seek to comply with His Word (our Bibles) in the power of His Holy Spirit.
But there’s one more thing. Judges 21:25 tells us that the Israelites didn’t have a king during the time of the judges’ time. Do we have a king over us?
Yes! A thousand times, YES! We have a King, and His Name is Jesus! We bow to Him and Him alone!
Philippians 2:9-11 (CSB): “For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
So, my friend, the people misbehaved in the book of Judges because they didn’t have a leader over them. Many of them didn’t self-govern, so things got really bad at times.
But you and I have a King, and He lives within us if we are saved. We also have His Word, which clarifies how we are to think and live. So, don’t let sin reign in your body. Submit to your King and obey Him.
And, if there is any long-term hope for the United States of America (or any other country for that matter), we need to share the Gospel and God’s Word. We need to show that it is a rational faith and you don’t have to check your brain at the door to believe it. We need to call people to enjoy and submit to King Jesus and obey Him. If our country continues to see unruly behavior and a lack of self-governance, we will eventually lose more of our freedoms and our government will see fit to claim more and more authority over our lives.
Spend Time in Prayer
- Ask God to help you understand how to relate to and obey your King.
- Ask God to help you discover the power of His Holy Spirit in you to enable you to live the life Jesus calls you to live.
Going Deeper
If you want to dig a little deeper into the supremacy of Jesus, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:
“What does it mean that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords?”
Sharing
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Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)
Matt’s Musings 