May 3, 2024 - Which way will you choose?

Judges 17:1-18:31

John 3:1-21

Psalm 104:1-23

Proverbs 14:20-21

One Year Bible Audio & Daily Reading (oneyearbibleonline.com)

I am confused by the story in Judges because they are all clearly living drastically far from God and His teaching. You would think that they would not be so successful.

As I am pondering this, I am thinking that part of free will is that if you don't want God in your life, He will honor that and not be in your life. Here we see God's people living apart from God among people who are living apart from God. In the battle there will be a winner and a loser even without God's intervention. Maybe it just happens that the ungodly Danites overpowered those they went against. You don't see miraculous victories like we had seen in stories like Joshua and the walls of Jericho so there is no reason to try to see God in the victory. We see one group of people living apart from God fighting against another people living apart from God. So why is this story here. I found a video I liked about it that I think answers that question for us.

John 3:1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

Nicodemus knew that when you see miraculous things that God is the one who is doing it. In Judges we did not see God in any of it. Just a bunch of people living their lives as though they can do it all on their own and motivated by their own desires. No wonder we can look around us and see people who have no interest in God being successful and having what looks like a good life. But we know that in the end there is no accomplishment or amount of riches that we can gain here that can compare to the riches we will have in heaven. I would rather have nothing and walk with God.

John 3: 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

When Jesus came into the world He shined a light into the darkness. Those who by their free will want to live their lives in darkness will reject Him and He will honor that. But those who desire to know God have no fear of the light. The light gives me comfort, encouragement, direction, and discernment. But it also gives me conviction and brings me to repentance. Living in the light means that I want Him to see what I do and want Him to teach me how to live for Him and like Him. I am not fearful of Him shinning the light in by dark places because I know He loves me and will walk me out of that darkness hand in hand.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Everyone has a choice to make in our own free will. Walk with Jesus the Light of the World or walk apart from Him in darkness. He will honor whatever we choose. We will all face eternity and it's up to us where we want to spend it. Living with Jesus or dead in our sins apart from Him.