10
And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.”
11
And the Lord said to the people of Israel, “Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines?
12
The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand.
13
Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more.
14
Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.”
15
And the people of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.”
16
So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.
Judges 10:10-16 (ESV)
Have you ever wondered about this natural inclination we have to try any and every solution imaginable—only to see those things fail—before calling upon the One who can truly help?
We live in a world of what I call “practical convenience.” We are practical—we’ll try anything that might work (or, at least, anything that might not make things worse). And we seek the most convenient fix—the path of least resistance.
In the Scripture from Judges 10, the people of Israel had been enticed by the so-called “gods” of the nations that surrounded them. The thought was that doing something, some ritual or sacrifice, to satisfy those “gods” would give them relief from life’s ills, provide paths to prosperity, or bring protection from one’s enemies. Practical convenience—I wonder if Israel thought, “It probably can’t hurt, and maybe this could help.”
But in Israel’s time of need, those so-called “gods” couldn’t come through. They were nothing.
Because Israel had neglected to call exclusively upon the Lord, He withheld his hand of protection and blessing from them. Though the Lord had claimed them and had delivered them time and time again as a part of His redemptive plan for all people, Israel had forgotten and rejected Him as their sole source of help.
When Israel did away with the foreign gods and set their hearts on the Lord alone, He delivered them.
Here’s a modern example that perhaps makes this relatable: I had friends who once were trying to sell their home as they prepared to relocate. They were willing to try anything that might help—even to the point of considering a superstitious belief that burying the statue of a saint upside-down in their yard would yield a quick and profitable sale. (Practical convenience: it probably can’t hurt, and maybe it could help.) Now, these were people of faith, and they asked me whether I thought this would help. I encouraged them instead to simply call upon Jesus, asking for His provision and His blessing as they trusted in Him alone. (And the house sold.)
The Lenten journey is one that invites us to reflect: On what have I pinned my hopes? In whom or in what is my trust? What do fear? Have I made any person, any thing, any system, or any ritual out to be a “god” that I hope might deliver me (thinking with “practical convenience”: this probably can’t hurt, and maybe it could help)?
Instead, let us turn our eyes upon Jesus, looking to Him who is the author and perfecter of our faith. Only He has real power to deliver us, to comfort us, to sustain us in our time of need. Him and Him alone do we serve. As we turn to Him, we will find Him to be the merciful and faithful One, able to help us in our time of need.
Written by
Pastor Ken Green, Prince of Peace/
Príncipe de Paz
, Orlando
