The Angel of the Lord went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, “I brought you out of Egypt and led you into the land I had promised to your fathers. I also said: I will never break My covenant with you. You are not to make a covenant with the people who are living in this land, and you are to tear down their altars. But you have not obeyed Me. What is this you have done? Therefore, I now say: I will not drive out these people before you. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a trap for you.” When the Angel of the Lord had spoken these words to all the Israelites, the people wept loudly. So they named that place Bochim and offered sacrifices there to the Lord. Judges 2:1-5
So now, say to the men of Judah and to the residents of Jerusalem: This is what the Lord says: I am about to bring harm to you and make plans against you. Turn now, each from your evil way, and correct your ways and your deeds. But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless. We will continue to follow our plans, and each of us will continue to act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.'” Jeremiah 18:11-12
My words…
Praise
How often, Lord, have Your children disappointed You, ignored You, disobeyed You? You draw up a plan for our lives, a plan hinged on our obedience to You with peace and prosperity as the promised reward. But we never live it out as You plan. We try to manipulate the plan to better suit our desires. And when that happens, life doesn’t work out right. We find ourselves in Bochim, our personal place of weeping and seeking repentance. But then, before long, we are right back to following our own plans. It happened with the Israelites. It happens still. I bet you’re growing sick and tired of it. (Then again, maybe not since You are slow to anger – abounding in love.) You delight in seeing Your children happy. You know what we should do in order to experience the highest level of happiness and contentment here on earth. Your plan is not difficult to understand, and we have You empowering us to live it out. But for some reason, we fight You. Why do we have to drive out the Canaanites, Jebusites, Asherites, and Amorites? Let’s just let them stay, and we will make them slaves. They will not influence us. Then the downfall begins. After so many times, I imagine You turn Your eyes away. You ask us to remove the traps, but we are confident we can sidle up next to them and remain safe. How foolish we are for not holding fast to Your plan. How remarkable You are for loving us anyway.
Prayer for me
I know Your plan for me: a more disciplined life. You are asking me to drive out time-wasting habits and spend that time with You, serving You, learning from You. But I can be stubborn, holding tightly to my interests and whims which take up more of my time than they are worth. So again, I petition You to strengthen me toward self-discipline.
Forgive me
Like the Israelites in Canaan, I am guilty of sizing up Your plan for me and deciding that my idea is actually better. My plan is better than Yours. What arrogance. What foolishness. Forgive me.
Prayer for others
Father, I pray for those who have served You in the past but have allowed their faith to weaken because of the influence of others close by. Your plan for their lives interferes with how they have been living for years. Weaken the influence of those around them so they will think of You…remember You. Open the eyes of their hearts so they may see Your plan and embrace it once again.
Thank You
Thank you for being the God with a plan. And I am so grateful that You love me enough to have a plan for me.
More praise
Lord, You are not arbitrary, irrational, or impulsive. With You – there is order and design. You not only designed the workings of the inner ear, the process of pollination, the laws of thermodynamics, but You designed a plan for me which leads to a life of spiritual riches and contentment. I put my faith in Your plan because You see what I cannot, and You know what I do not. I praise You for being a Father who plans for His children.
