Daily Devotional

As the children of Israel set up house in their new land they continued to be influenced by the people around them and gave into their own sin natures. Each time God would bring hardship on them, luring them back to Himself. In the passage before these verses it seemed like God had had enough. He reminded them of so many times He had delivered them and they had forsaken Him each time and so He wasn't going to deliver them anymore (Judges 10:11-14). But as they cried out to them "His soul could no longer endure their misery."

As a parent I understand God's heart here. We hate to see our children in pain, even though it is brought on by their own sin. We want to provide a way out of it for them. When they cry and say they are sorry, our hearts melt and we pull them into our arms.

We are familiar with the verse in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." I love this verse because it says, "If My people," not all people; "My people." A sinner can turn God's heart and receive forgiveness and at that moment he becomes a child of the King. That one act of repentance changes a life and as His children we can corporately repent and change a nation.

Our pastor has called all of us to prayer and fasting for deliverance for ourselves, our city, our state, our nation. Can I encourage you as well, believing that as we pray, "His soul will no longer endure our misery." If you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus, He loves you and wants you as His child. Ask Him to be the King of your life. He promises, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak but He is strong
Yes Jesus loves me
Yes Jesus loves me
Yes Jesus loves me
The Bible tells me so

New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.