I have been in Sunday school literally as long as I can
remember, but sometimes I come across something I don’t recall ever reading in
my Bible. I have been trying to spend a bit more time reading the Old Testament
and this passage from Judges took me by surprise:
Judges 1:4-6 “When
Judah attacked, the Lord gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands,
and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and
fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. Adoni-Bezek fled, but they chased him and
caught him, and cut off his thumbs and big toes.
I certainly don’t remember a flannel-board lesson on that!
At first this war tactic seemed silly and I just didn’t understand…why cut off
his thumbs and big toes? Then it dawned on me just how crucial those small,
seemingly insignificant parts of our body are.
Do you ever feel small or unimportant to the body of Christ?
Like no one would notice if you didn’t show up for Bible study? Those are lies
straight from the lips of Satan. Quiet him with this truth: you are
important, vitally so, and we need you at our gatherings. We need your wisdom,
your insight and to hear of the lessons you have learned from your experiences
with God.
Hebrews 10:24&25
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let
us encourage one another
Proverbs 27:17 As
iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
~Cyndi
Action Step: So....do you sometimes feel small or unimportant within the Body of Christ? Ask God to help you and then take a few meaningful steps to replace the enemy's lies for God's truth. Ask a girlfriend or two to pray for you and hold you accountable to work on those lies! They can be silenced!
First of all, kudos to you for reading Judges! Isn't it great how we will so often find a verse that speaks to us in a new way? I love it when devotions include unusual and not-so-well-known verses. It makes me want to open my Bible and read more. Thanks for including this one.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I find that summer is so busy with traveling, I miss church pretty often. In the fall, getting back into a routine (I'm a teacher)and going back to church can be like putting on a well-worn comfy sweatshirt. I never really realize how much I've missed it until I have it again. The Hebrews scripture is such a good reminder to those of us who may get off track with "meeting together."