Judges 20:1 So all the children of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, as well as from the land of Gilead, and the congregation gathered together as one man before the Lord at Mizpah.

When was the last time you saw a whole country all vote in the same manner? Most of the time we find people voting for different things and not agreeing with each other.

Here, all the people of Israel came together to talk as one; to agree on the same things and to work together.

To me, that is the essence of Christian life and I hope to be in a position one day where I am able to witness people all being together as one voice!

Sadly it is something we need to continue to pray for and hopefully work toward.

Psalm 118:22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.

When we puff ourselves up by trying to do too much or trying to go further than we should, we are rejecting the most powerful force on earth.

It sounds all too easy to ask God to be in everything you do, but when you get carried away, He is often the last person to be called!

Christ was rejected by the very people who needed Him most. He was rejected by the people who were actually waiting for Him!

Yet still He became the cornerstone; the stone which holds it all together – because He loves us so!

Matthew 26:52 But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

When this all unfolded in the Garden of Gethsemane there was no war or fighting between the disciples and the guards. There was no retaliation by either side. Why?

Because Jesus spoke with authority and He diffused the situation by healing the guards ear there and then.

Being faced by someone who speaks with great authority is one thing, but being faced with that same person who performs a miracle right in front of you is another thing.

We need to make sure in our future that we are not taken in by the evil one who will perform miracles too; but rather compare what is done with God’s Word and His ways.