“1 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. 2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. 3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. 4 They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. 5 They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. 6 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help.”
These verses described the third time, in the book of Judges, that the children of Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord as a nation. In the first time, they served Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim for eight years (Judges 3:8). In the second time, God gave them over Jabin, a king of Canaan, for twenty years (Judges 4:1-3). This time, even though it was only eight years, the Israelites found themselves in, possibly, the worst condition ever, so far, since leaving Egypt as we can see in Judges 6:1-6.
For some that may not know the story, this pattern of the Israel’s unfaithfulness to God, then crying out to God and then God restoring them is repeated over and over in Scripture. That is an example of many of our lives! What is the point that I am trying to make? Every time we fall, we hit ourselves harder and it gets harder to get up. If you are one away from the Lord or you are starting to feel coldness in your heart towards the Lord, repent and turn to Jesus. Many find themselves unable to prosper and they wonder why. Check your heart before you fall; surely it will get harder to get up.
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