March 21: just another lowlife outcast...

Judges 10:1-12:15

Judges 10:6-16

King James Version (KJV)

⁶ And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served not him.

⁷ And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.

⁸ And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel: eighteen years, all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

⁹ Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.

¹⁰ And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim.

¹¹ And the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?

¹² The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand.

¹³ Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.

¹⁴ Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.

¹⁵ And the children of Israel said unto the Lord, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day.

¹⁶ And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the Lord: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

His soul was grieved. Okay, so as long as we continue in our sin, He will not hear! As long as we deliberately continue in our sinful ways, even if we plead with God, He will not hear our cries! Not until we make a decision to follow Him! Does this mean we must clean up our lives, and THEN and only then ask for His help? No! We just need to find an altar of repentance! Turn from our wicked ways, and make the decision to worship Him and Him only. He will guide us right out of the pit we have dug for ourselves! 
His soul was grieved. Excuse me but I don't for one minute think the Israelites deserved His compassion. I mean seriously. They had to be the most evil people ever known to God or man. To have a God like our God who loved them unconditionally! And they just kept chasing after other gods? They made these promises to God over and over. And every time things started going well for them, they whored after other gods. I have lost count the exact number of times they turned their backs on God. This gives me so much hope for all of mankind. His soul is grieved for us when we repent, turn back to Him and plead for mercy. Time and time again.

Judges 11:1-11

Amplified Bible (AMP)

11 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a harlot. Gilead was Jephthah’s father.

² And Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when his wife’s sons grew up, they thrust Jephthah out and said to him, You shall not have an inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.

³ Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men gathered around Jephthah and went on raids with him.

⁴ And after a time, the Ammonites made war against Israel.

⁵ And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah out of the land of Tob;

⁶ And they said to Jephthah, Come and be our leader, that we may fight with the Ammonites.

⁷ But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?

⁸ And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, This is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight the Ammonites and be our head over all the citizens of Gilead.

⁹ Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites and the Lord gives them over to me, [understand that] I will be your head.

¹⁰ And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, The Lord is witness between us, if we do not do as you have said.

¹¹ So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah repeated all he had promised before the Lord at Mizpah.

Once again, God uses a nobody from nowhere.

Judges 11:29-33

Amplified Bible (AMP)

²⁹ Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites.

³⁰ And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, If You will indeed give the Ammonites into my hand,

³¹ Then whatever or whoever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it or him up as a burnt offering.

³² Then Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight with them, and the Lord gave them into his hand.

³³ And from Aroer to Minnith he smote them, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-cheramim [the meadow of vineyards], with a very great slaughter. So the Ammonites were subdued before the Israelites.

When a nobody from nowhere couples up with the Spirit of the Lord, look out!!!

"God I'm no one special. I haven't accomplished much. Most of my life I have quit everything I have started. But in spite of my failures and shortcomings, I want Your Spirit to overtake me and consume me. I want to be a mighty warrior for Your kingdom! Crush me, break me, make me and mold me. Then saturate me with Your Spirit so I can be an instrument of service to You. I believe You are hearing my prayer this morning. I believe by Your power I have victory. I believe You are faithful and will perform that which You have promised in me and through me. I praise Your matchless name! You are worthy to be praised! I am empowered by Your word of truth this morning! Cover me in Your blood. In Jesus name, the Name above every name. AMEN."