Read Judges 4:1-7. The book of Judges tells the story of the Hebrew people while they are living in Canaan and before they are appointed a series of kings. The six judges in the book function as military leaders rather than legal experts or settlers of disputes as we may understand judges today. Deborah is the only female judge mentioned in this book, but she is one of many biblical examples of women in leadership.
Each story has this pattern: the Israelites sin and worship other gods, God removes the hand of protection and delivers them into the hands of an oppressor, they cry out to God, God appoints a judge to rescue Israel and the people return to the proper worship of God, the judge dies and the people turn from God, and the cycle begins again. You would think the Hebrews would learn, but they are human after all. This is why history tends to repeat itself. We humans (both individually and collectively) have a hard time learning from the past.
Have you had a time in your life when you might have been caught up in sin or devoted yourself to something other than God or God’s ways? Maybe money became the object of your devotion or maybe it was your status or your image or a particular group you identify yourself with. Maybe it was something that became an obsession or addiction. What consequences were the outcome? Were they all negative or all positive or a little of both? Who did God work through to bring your attention back to God’s ways?
Offer a prayer of confession for those times when you have worshipped at the feet of some other god and thank God for continuing to send the right people to guide you back onto the right path.
Read Psalm 123. This is a psalm of trust. From the depths of despair, the psalmist recognizes that there is nowhere to turn for mercy but to God. Sometimes when we are in a tough place, we turn towards unhealthy habits or relationships for relief because God doesn’t act quickly enough for our taste or in the way we imagine God should act.
When you feel you are the object of contempt or scorn, do you tend to strike back or do you turn your eyes to God, waiting for God to reach out in mercy? Despite the words of desperation in these brief verses, there is also a sense of calm, of patience, of sure and certain hope that God will act on behalf of God’s beloved.
Think of a situation you or someone you love may be in that leaves you feeling a bit desperate. Imagine lifting your eyes to God, releasing this situation to God’s care, and trusting God with it. Now take a breath and wait.
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. Imagine a community where we clothe ourselves in faith, love, and hope, where we build each other up rather than tear each other down. It seems to me that this can only be done when each member of the community is confident in their own worthiness and sense of belonging. I have noticed that when the words I use have the effect of tearing someone down, those words usually come from a place of fear, anxiety, and insecurity.
How can we, as individuals and as a faith community, affirm the worth and belonging of those who may feel otherwise? How can we be more hospitable, welcoming, and inclusive? What affect might that have on the people around us and on the way we relate to the world around us?
Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the light of the Spirit that dwells within you and commit yourself to uncovering that light in your thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions.
Read Matthew 25:14-30. In his commentary on this passage, Dirk Lange suggests that this passage should not necessarily be used as a plug for good financial practices. Instead, we can understand the talents as God’s invitation into the abundance and extravagance of God’s grace. It is offered to all and each has the choice of what they will do with it. In burying his talent, the third servant has embraced an attitude of scarcity and fear and in essence, has buried himself. He has condemned himself to a space of darkness and weeping and gnashing of teeth. Out of great abundance, the Master invites us into participating in his joy, in his peace, and in his mercy.
How willing are we to invest joy, peace, and mercy in the people and the situations around us? What might be the return on our investment?
Today, invest the grace that has been given to you out of God’s abundant love and celebrate the outflow of the Master’s joy.