Then the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and He said, "Because this nation has transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice, I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua left when he died, so that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the Lord, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not." Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out immediately; nor did He deliver them into the hand of Joshua.
Judges 2:20-23
God will use negative things in our lives to test us, to let us see what we're made of. It's interesting that the Angel of the Lord brought to Joshua a message of encouragement:
"Be strong, be of great courage" (Joshua 1:6; 1:9).
"Do not fear; I am with you to deliver you says the Lord" (Joshua 1:9).
But with this new generation here in the Book of Judges, the Angel of the Lord brought a message of punishment. What a parallel. One generation gets encouragement for their obedience to God, and the other discouragement due to their lack of trust in His word. For one battle, the people of Israel checked in with God, but then they lost every other battle afterward. And that's what happens when we're in the flesh; we give up and say, "I can't do this so I'll just sort of give in here and there, and I'll somehow get by." But you can't compromise. God does not hesitate to remove His blessings if our suffering will motivate us to return back to Him.
So if you know people that are suffering or are in pain, you may want to pray for them in a new light. God loves them so much and He will do whatever it takes to bring them to Himself. When we're not in right relationship with Jesus Christ, it's open season for the devil. Every time we walk according to God's Word, the blessings of heaven pour out, and every time we grow closer to the world the enemy's curse devours us. Remember to never neglect God's Word. Be a man or a woman today who, like Joshua, stands up for righteousness. May the Holy Spirit release you today that there would be no compromise, and that your desire would be for a pure heart.
"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10).
Posted via email from ..................The Last Call Digest
