Some of our Old Testament daily readings for the next while will include portions from Judges.  Judges is one of the more fascinating (and saddest) books in the Old Testament.  The people have crossed over the Jordan into the Promised Land, and have conquered most, but not all of it.

They have neighbors that worship false gods. Their neighbors do not worship the one true God.  And God has told them, do not follow idols. Worship only me.  And we see over and over again in Judges that the people do not worship God.  Looks what happens today in Judges 2:11-12:

11 Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and worshiped the Baals; 12 and they abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; they followed other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were all around them, and bowed down to them; and they provoked the LORD to anger.

The people of God fell into the practices of their neighbors and worshiped their false gods.  Instead of giving their love and devotion to the one true God, they gave their devotion to the false gods of their age.

And we think, how could they do that?  Instead of following the God that has been revealed to them, they follow after these false gods.

But, aren’t we tempted to do the same?  Instead of placing our hope and trust in God, we place our hope and trust in the gods of this age.

Power.  Or security.  Or wealth.  Or popularity.  Or fear.  Or so many different things we place our ultimate trust in other than God.

All of us are tempted by idolatry, aren’t we?  Maybe we won’t bow down in front of a golden calf, but how many of us are tempted, each day, to place our trust and hope in something other than God?

How many of us are tempted to find our security in something other than God?

How many of us are tempted to find our foundation in something other than God?

God is our hope.  He really is.  More than anything in this world.  Seriously y’all, God is all we need.  He is our hope, our shield, our salvation, our everything.

He is all that we need.

Don’t be tempted today to give into the false gods of our age, of wealth or fame or fear.

Trust in God, and God alone.

And in Him, we will find our hope and salvation.

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