April 12 – Judges 20:37-48

April 12 – Judges 20:37-48

37 Then the men in ambush hurried and rushed against Gibeah; the men in ambush moved out and struck all the city with the edge of the sword. 38 Now the appointed signal between the men of Israel and the men in the main ambush was that when they made a great cloud of smoke rise up out of the city 39 the men of Israel should turn in battle. Now Benjamin had begun to strike and kill about thirty men of Israel. They said, “Surely they are defeated before us, as in the first battle.” 40 But when the signal began to rise out of the city in a column of smoke, the Benjaminites looked behind them, and behold, the whole of the city went up in smoke to heaven. 41 Then the men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed, for they saw that disaster was close upon them. 42 Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel in the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them. And those who came out of the cities were destroying them in their midst. 43 Surrounding the Benjaminites, they pursued them and trod them down from Nohah as far as opposite Gibeah on the east. 44 Eighteen thousand men of Benjamin fell, all of them men of valor. 45 And they turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon. Five thousand men of them were cut down in the highways. And they were pursued hard to Gidom, and 2,000 men of them were struck down. 46 So all who fell that day of Benjamin were 25,000 men who drew the sword, all of them men of valor. 47 But 600 men turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon and remained at the rock of Rimmon four months. 48 And the men of Israel turned back against the people of Benjamin and struck them with the edge of the sword, the city, men and beasts and all that they found. And all the towns that they found they set on fire.

After two attempts, the Israelites were victorious over the Benjamites. Hallelujah! Praise God! The first two attempts did not go well as the Israelites did not call out to God and ask for His presence and His blessing. But now they implored his favour, fasted and prayed, and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings (v. 26)

How often do we think we can accomplish our life without calling out to God and asking for His blessing and His presence? Let us be mindful of our dependency on God and continue to seek His plan as we live daily.

Heavenly Father, help us seek You in good times and bad and not just come to You to fix our problems.  I know when things look bleak we have a tendency to land on our knees, but we need to be crying out to You no matter what is going on.  I know I need Your guidance, encouragement, mercy, grace, love, acceptance, forgiveness, and even discipline, every single day.  Help me to cry out to You in praise as well as my times of crisis.  Thank You Father for always being what I need and ready to meet me where I am. 

In Jesus’ name.

Amen!

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