JUDGES 1
The first chapter of the book of Judges chronicles more of the war conquests of Israel. And as I read the various accounts, I thought about how God helps us fight. Of course, these were accounts of actual fighting, and we may not find ourselves out on the battlefield, but God helps us fight in other areas of our lives. When we need spiritual help, God fights for us. When we need emotional help, God fights for us. And whenever we align ourselves with God’s will, He helps us fight... and we always win.
Photo © Unsplash/Dorian Hurst
With God’s help, victory is a foregone conclusion. In fact, we are the only ones who can negatively affect the outcome. We see that, too, at the end of this chapter, as the author chronicles a number of partial failures on the part of the Israelites to drive out the heathen nations. And in every case where the Israelite tribes failed to drive out the heathens, they became slaves of Israel, but they also continued to live among the Israelites and influence them.
When Israel was unable to drive out the Canaanites, it was because they refused to carry out all of God’s instructions. This caused a myriad of problems for the Israelites down the road, as they became more and more inclined to worship the false gods of the Canaanites. The Israelites are the evidence that God gives us the freedom not to follow His battle plan. But if we will choose to fully align ourselves with God and His plans for us, God will help us fight in every area of our life. And when God fights, He wins.
Photo © Unsplash/Wade Austin Ellis