READING: Mark 3:13-15
The Israelites twice now had lost battles against the Benjamites. They had “wept before the Lord” (Judg. 20:23) when they previously lost, but this time their grief was even greater. Another 18,000 warriors had died in the most recent battle. Thus, this time, “The whole Israelite army went to Bethel where they wept and sat before the Lord. They fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord” (Judg. 20:26).
They sat before the Lord in their anguish, focusing on Him and rejecting even food from morning until evening. They offered sacrifices to God, signifying their repentance and their renewed commitment to Him. They apparently were learning that nothing they could do in their own efforts would bring them victory. God in turn granted them victory over the Benjamites.
It is good for us to sit before God in our fasting, seeking Him above everything else. It is right for us to come to Him in repentance and faith with our hearts so broken that tears mark us. When we face conflicts, it’s proper for us not to take a step until we know that He’s leading us. Turning to Him no matter what we face is always the right move.
PRAYER: “God, I don’t want to face any battles without You. Help me to come to You with weeping and fasting.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Ruth 1-5, Luke 15
