the victory through our Lord

Sometimes I get discouraged by what I see as the moral and spiritual decline of America and the world. Sometimes I get discouraged by the lack of spiritual growth being made by the flock around me, no matter how hard I and others push and struggle to lead. Judges20 gives us hope that the struggle is part of the Lord's plan, and continued obedience should be my focus.

In Judges20, Israel is told to fight against one of their own (the tribe of Benjamin) because of the Benjamites' (Benjaminites? I like Benjamites better.) protection of their tribesmen, despite great wickedness having been committed by them. Two days the armies of Israel are routed by the Benjamites -- 22,000 slain the first day, and another 18,000 the second day. Before both days, the Lord had instructed them to go and fight. Imagine how they must have felt getting routed. Did we misunderstand His command? Maybe He's not on our side? Does He WANT us to get routed? It wasn't until the third day that He commands them to go up and fight AND that He would finally give them into the hands of the Israelites. And the overconfidence of the Benjamites after two days of victories plays into their defeat.

The victory is always in the hands of God. And even when in obedience we fight for Him and lose, we are doing what we are called to do. And sometimes losing for two days is part of that grand plan. Don't quit.