August 23: Judges 9:6-15

Key Verse: Judges 9:15
‘The thorn-bush said to the trees, “If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thorn-bush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!”

Devotion:
At first, when I read this section of scripture, my first thought was ‘what was that about?’  But as you get to sit and think on the words, new things come to mind. God does not want us to blindly accept all things and just do whatever is said we should do. Jotham confronted the people to try and make them stop and think about what they were doing. One of the things we seem to need in society is a leader who is willing to lead; but not only that, a leader who will take responsibility.

Unfortunately many leaders will hype up their position and their willingness to do all things to improve our communities, but most of them cannot hope to fulfil their promises they are making because they have not though things through. Even when one stands up and tells the truth people may be less likely to follow them because their path seems a bit tough to go through!

God has not promised us the easiest path in our lives, just the right path. If we look around and choose the easy parts and go with them, we are likely to miss out on the true path God has given us to tread. It is not always right to choose what we think everyone is following or to choose the popular path; sometimes we have to stand up for the truth and follow whatever that takes us through.

Most of all God wants us to stop and think about what we are doing and where we are going. Yes, sometimes it will be sitting in the shade of a thorn tree where we will get all manner of scratches when the wind blows or when people jostle us about; but when that is the path God is directing us on, we should follow. Not blindly, but with His guidance and through obedience.

Points to Ponder:
Are you going through a troubling time in your life?

God may not have chosen your immediate path, but He still wants to guide you!