Seeking God in JUDGES

“And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.” JUDGES 2:17

I

n the classic devotional, My Utmost for his Highest, Oswald Chambers says that repentance is the bedrock of Christianity. And how difficult it is to say to God “I have sinned,” unless the Holy Spirit prompts us to do so. True deliverance begins when we confess our sins before our Father, determined to change our ways. Repentance precedes salvation.

About thirty years ago a woman named Silvia sat on the edge of her bed, took a little bundle of holy cards from her dresser, and began to pray. Her granddaughter, then a little girl, sat next to her, puzzled. “Grandma, what are you doing,” she asked. “I am praying to God,” Silvia said. “Grandma, who is God?” the little girl asked. And that question was the birthplace of this devotional.

As I write these words Silvia, my grandmother and woman of faith, may be living her last hours on this earth. It is uncertain whether she will survive surgery, given her age. What is sure to survive, however, is the love, the immense and pure love she gave me. And I am grateful for the gift of faith that she so gently deposited in my heart. May our good Lord be with her, and hold her hand.

This post is dedicated to my grandmother Silvia, and to all the loving women of faith who pass on Jesus and the love of God to their grandchildren. God bless you, and keep you. Amen.