Where Did I Go Wrong?

Have you ever felt like you just woke up one morning and you had left the Lord but you don't really know how or when it happened? This morning, I have been pondering the account of Gideon in Judges chapters 6-7. There is so much to learn from these two chapters, but one thing I have really pondered is how we are led astray from the Lord. Judges 6:8-10 says, "that the LORD sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, 'Thus says the LORD God of Israel: I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage; and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. Also I said to you, I am the LORD your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But you have not obeyed my voice."

God reminded them of what He had done for them and that what He had asked in return was for them to not fear the gods of the Amorites. God will not share His glory with another! This one request was not honored because verse 25 says, " Now it came to pass the same night that the LORD said to him, 'Take your father's young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it". God told him to build an altar to Him and sacrifice the bull on it. Gideon was instructed to tear down this place of worship to Baal before he was to go out and fight the enemy to save his people!

James 1:14-15 tells us, "But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown brings forth death." Now thinking back over Judges 6:8-10 where God reminded His people what He had done for them and the request He made of them, I believe where we go wrong in life is we forget what God has done for us. If we make a point of remembering what He has brought us through and the way He has provided for us, then He maintains the proper standing in our hearts. But when we choose to not remember Him, we are then drawn away by our own desires and enticed. Sometimes it sneaks in like a thief in the night and we don't realize it until what we had (peace, joy, provision, etc.) is stolen from us! In essence, we leave the door wide open for the thief to come in!

Remembering the blessings of God has to be intentional! We get so busy in our daily lives that we are bound to forget, or at the very least put in the back of our minds, all His benefits to us unless we live each day with the intent of remembering God for who He is and what He has done. This will keep our minds focused on Him and not on our own evil desires. Psalm 37:4 promises, "Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." This tells me that if I stay focused on the Lord then He will cause me to desire good things. What a promise to remember!