READING: Judges 16:1-18:31
My missionary heart always grieves when I read a text like today’s text from the book of Judges. The Philistines had captured Samson when he lost the power of God in his life. They even gouged out his eyes, shackled him, and put him to work in the prison. Then, they did what strikes me as so tragic: they worshiped their false god, Dagon. Indeed, the leaders offered a sacrifice to this false god and rejoiced, “Our god has handed over our enemy Samson to us” (Judg 16:23). The people then echoed with their own faulty praise: “Our god has handed over to us our enemy who destroyed our land and who multiplied our dead” (Judg 16:24). In their ridicule of Samson, they requested the prisoner be brought to them to “entertain them” (Judg 16:25).
They praised a false god for their deliverance, but the true God would bring judgment on them. He would show them that their assumption their god was more powerful than Samson’s God was a faulty one indeed. How I pray that the billions worshiping false gods today would come to this realization before judgment comes!
May I ask you today to pray for the unreached around the world and the missionaries seeking to reach them?
PERSONAL REFLECTION: What role are you playing in reaching those worshiping false gods?
TODAY’S PRAYER: “Teach me, Lord, what I might do to help spread Your glory.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Judges 19:1-21:25
