– Scripture:

                      Who is to Blame?

Yet again, the People of Israel went back to doing evil in God’s sight. God put them under the domination of Midian for seven years. Midian overpowered Israel. Because of Midian, the People of Israel made for themselves hideouts in the mountains, caves, and forts. When Israel planted its crops, Midian and Amalek, the easterners, would invade them, camp in their fields, and destroy their crops all the way down to Gaza. They left nothing for them to live on, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. Bringing their cattle and tents, they came in and took over like an invasion of locusts. And their camels past counting! They marched in and devastated the country. The People of Israel, reduced to grinding poverty by Midian, cried out to God for help.
One time, when the People of Israel had cried out to God because of Midian, God sent them a prophet with this message: “God, the God of Israel, says, I delivered you from Egypt, I freed you from a life of slavery; I rescued you from Egypt’s brutality and then from every oppressor;
I pushed them out of your way and gave you their land. “And I said to you, ‘I am God, your God. Don’t for a minute be afraid of the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living.’ But you didn’t listen to me.”

                                          Judges 6:1–10 MSG

 – Reflection:

How quick we are to jump to questions of blame and judgment. We all know that this can be a slippery slope to start on. Reading this passage, I feel like it is less about “who is to blame” and more about the call to remember God’s faithfulness and a call to our faithfulness, no matter our circumstances. Wherever you are today, may you recognize where you are quick to jump to judgment, whether for issues in your own life or complex problems in this country and around the world, and in those moments, may we be called back to faithfulness, trusting in God.

Where do we go from here?

The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD gave them into the hand of Midian for seven years. Is that where you want to be, not listening and being given over to some other power because you didn’t honor and fear GOD’s commandments faithfully? I know I don’t; moving forward, it is in our best interest to humble ourselves and follow what has been placed in the fiber of our being since birth. If and when we do this, the veil will be lifted, and you can see clearer. It will not be easier, but you will see clearer.

Our Prayer for Today

Father of grace and mercy, grant us clear minds and still hearts to know your presence. When life seems shaky, let us not rush to point fingers but be steadfast in faithfulness and sustained in prayer. Amen.