Judges 11:31

We see the familiar cycle in the book of Judges: Israel rebels, falling into idolatry. As a consequence, they are oppressed. In their distress, they repent and cry out to God. God reminds them of His faithfulness, responds to their plea by raising a deliverer, and sets in motion a plan to restore them. In Judges 11, that deliverer is Jephthah. The story of Jephthah reminds us how God, in His mercy, raises unlikely people to fulfil His purpose, but also how human wisdom, when clouded by worldly thinking, can lead to tragic endings.

Do you feel as if God has abandoned you? In life’s hardest moments, it can seem impossible to feel His presence. Rest assured; He hasn’t left your side. In this devotional, you’ll experience the nearness of God through one man’s inspiring journey. You’ll be encouraged and learn how you can trust in the Lord, regardless of your circumstances.

168 is the number of hours that each human being has for a week. No more, no less. The Psalmist cried out, "Lord, teach us to count our days well!" In our fast-paced society, counting our HOURS has become vital. I invite you to reflect over the next few days on how to invest and allocate your time ACCORDING to GOD.

The Bible doesn’t paint the perfect picture that we might hope to see; rather, it paints a picture that makes sense only when we consider God as the true superhero in a massive movement of redemption from the first to the last chapters of the Bible. A good God has good reasons for filling his stories with morally flawed people. Through their failures, his grace is on full display.