Times of being Disoriented to God - Judges 4-6 and Luke 4:31-44
There are times when an individual, a family, a church, or a nation becomes disoriented to God. It is a serious condition, because we can't see what God is doing around us, so we go the wrong way and do the wrong things. Being sensitive to God's Word and obeying His Word prevent us from being disoriented to Him. Neglecting His Word and hardening our hearts to Him produce this disorientation.
Look at Israel in Judges 4-6. There is not a man in Israel to judge them or to lead them, so Deborah steps forward. God meant for the men to lead, but they were so disoriented to God that they were living in defeat. There was not even a warrior willing to lead the army against the enemy, when God clearly told them they would win. Barak would not go to battle without Deborah. Therefore, God gave the glory of the victory to Jael, Heber's wife. She killed Sisera, the enemy commander, instead of a man killing him on the battlefield. To me this shows how far the Lord's people had drifted from Him, because they left His Word and worshiped the idols. Even Gideon was hiding from the enemies when the angel came to him. He did not feel worthy. He did not know how to follow God's Word. He asked God for the sign of the fleece, because He was not sure about God's Word. The people of God were not even sure how to hear God speaking to them. How are you doing? Are you hearing God and staying in His Word, or are you disoriented to Him? The bad thing is that when you are disoriented, many times, you don't realize it until something drastic happens.
Consider the situation in Luke 4. The demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God, but not the people of God. The people are amazed at the authority of Jesus' teaching. They had not heard teaching like this. The word of His miracles spread quickly, because it was so unusual to see God work. Jesus had an sense of urgency to go to all of the towns and preach God's Word, because the people were so disoriented to God. He knew they needed God's Word to reorient them, after years of falling away. We live in such a time today in America. Even the people of God have forsaken the Word of God to guide their lives, and they are walking through life blindly. They are disoriented to God and His ways. We must get back to His Word and ask the Lord to show us what He is doing, so we can get on track with Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Judges 7-8 and Luke 5:1-16.
Look at Israel in Judges 4-6. There is not a man in Israel to judge them or to lead them, so Deborah steps forward. God meant for the men to lead, but they were so disoriented to God that they were living in defeat. There was not even a warrior willing to lead the army against the enemy, when God clearly told them they would win. Barak would not go to battle without Deborah. Therefore, God gave the glory of the victory to Jael, Heber's wife. She killed Sisera, the enemy commander, instead of a man killing him on the battlefield. To me this shows how far the Lord's people had drifted from Him, because they left His Word and worshiped the idols. Even Gideon was hiding from the enemies when the angel came to him. He did not feel worthy. He did not know how to follow God's Word. He asked God for the sign of the fleece, because He was not sure about God's Word. The people of God were not even sure how to hear God speaking to them. How are you doing? Are you hearing God and staying in His Word, or are you disoriented to Him? The bad thing is that when you are disoriented, many times, you don't realize it until something drastic happens.
Consider the situation in Luke 4. The demons recognize Jesus as the Son of God, but not the people of God. The people are amazed at the authority of Jesus' teaching. They had not heard teaching like this. The word of His miracles spread quickly, because it was so unusual to see God work. Jesus had an sense of urgency to go to all of the towns and preach God's Word, because the people were so disoriented to God. He knew they needed God's Word to reorient them, after years of falling away. We live in such a time today in America. Even the people of God have forsaken the Word of God to guide their lives, and they are walking through life blindly. They are disoriented to God and His ways. We must get back to His Word and ask the Lord to show us what He is doing, so we can get on track with Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Judges 7-8 and Luke 5:1-16.