Tragic Words

I’ve been reading the book of Judges recently. There are some very bizarre stories in Judges. It is amazing to think that these things did not happen long after Joshua died. It did not take long for the people to forget God and begin doing what was right in their own eyes. Those tragically sad words, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes,” are repeated throughout Judges and they are the final words of the book, summarizing it effectively. They are tragic commentary indeed, because what was right in the people’s eyes was apostasy, idol worship, their own way. Interesting that it never seemed to be right in their own eyes to seek the Lord, but always to seek their own way. There is none righteous, no, not one. And what tragic results their own way reaped, over and over again.

What a warning!

Lord, my heart is deceitful, who can know it? Your ways are higher than mine. Teach me to set my heart and affection on You alone and replace my fallen desires with Your holy ones. Help me to desire and seek Your glory. I don’t want to do what is right in my own eyes, but to seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness. Sometimes what seems right in my own eyes can be so deafening, teach me to shut out the sinful flesh and feast on Your word and hide it in my heart that I may not sin against You. I need to know Your word so that my mind is filled with the truth, for it is the truth that sets me free to worship You. You are the way, the truth and the life, Jesus. Only through You can anyone come to the Father. You have reconciled me and cleansed me, Jesus, let me live like I believe it! Jesus, may it truly be my prayer that I seek one thing, and one thing only – to know You in the beauty of your holiness and to seek Your glory. I do not want the commentary on my life to say that I did what was right in my own eyes. Help me to fight the temptation to think my way is best or to grow weary in fighting the temptation to just go with the flow, and help me to be diligent to know Your way and live like a Kingdom citizen, redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus shed for me and freed to live for the glory of Christ.