Reading for today
Old Testament: Judges 18, 19, 20
New Testament: John 9
Thoughts from today’s reading
Judges 19. The story in this chapter is quite a difficult one to come to terms with and not one you would expect to happen among people separated and called a nation of the Lord. However, this is real life and the bible exposes to us the extent of man’s depravity when we ignore the instructions God has given to us.
Jesus said if our right hand causes us to sin we should cut it off. The Benjamites who had committed this woeful crime and sin were challenged by the rest of the Israelites who wanted to cut them off from the nation. Its interesting to note that the meaning of Benjamin is the Son of the Right hand.
John 9:1-12. Jesus saw the man born blind and then his disciples began to talk about the man and the reason for his condition.
Sometimes when God looks at your situation, that is when men start to try and figure out what is wrong with you. This may usually come as gossip and back talk about you and not in the form of them offering any help. Some may be moved to intercede for you at that time.
Jesus healed the man by sending him to a pool called Siloam which means sent. In obeying that instruction, he received his sight.
That pool was like a metaphor of the word of God. The word is sent and does not return to God void. Jesus sent the man to the pool and the man came back to Jesus seeing, he returned with his sight, and not with a void (his blindness).
Prayer
1. Lord, you said if our right hand causes us to sin we should cut it off. Help us to deal with the root of wrong actions in our lives. He have taken away the root of sin, but there still remains the flesh which is used to living in a way that opposes your Spirit. Help us to overcome the flesh, lusts, the devil and the world just as you instructed the Israelites on how to defeat the Benjamites. Thank you Lord in Jesus’ name.
2. Heavenly Father, may we be the sort of person that intercedes for those in a bad situation asking for your intervention in their lives. You sent your word to heal us and you said that word will not return to you void, we therefore speak your word into every situation of darkness and we declare light. We speak to every situation of illness and we declare health. We speak to every situation of blindness and we declare sight. We speak to every situation of lack and we declare plenty. Thank you that as we return your word to you in our prayers, we see the manifestation of those things we have prayed for in Jesus’ name.