January 23, 2025

Passage Read: Joshua 22 - Judges 1
Meditation Verse: Judges 1:33

Thought

Each tribe had their challenges. Some pockets of Canaanites and Amorites were too strong and too determined to remain alive and in the land! So the tribes compromised and lived among them, until they became strong enough, then they put them to forced labor. They remembered that they were enemies, at least enough to make slaves of them, but not enough to destroy them as commanded. How nice to have such large communities to force into slavery! Why destroy such a valuable labor force? So they allowed them to remain, and their wicked influence on the Israelites showed itself quickly.

Application

Compromise is so much easier than elimination. I can even find ways to use sinful means to accomplish my desires. Like the Israelites growing strong enough to force the Canaanites into forced labor, I can harness the power of sin under my self-control to advance my wishes. This is wrong. I must not tolerate sin for any reason. I must not justify sin in any way, especially to advance God's purposes! Sin is wrong and I need to completely cut it off. The war may be long and certain sins determined to remain, but I must not give up the fight.