Sreedhar's Journey

Procreation and the family unit are God's design. But man from ancient times have been abusing this and indulging in carnal and self gratifying activities. They easily justify it with great amusement and communal support. Sexual violation is seen with the eyes of justification. This also was reported during the period of the Judges. Judges 19:25, But the men would not heed him. So the man took his concubine and brought her out to them. And they knew her and abused her all night until morning; and when the day began to break, they let her go. The first problem is that a Levite has a concubine. She is treated like a piece of meat to trade for his life. And then the men of this Benjamite town wanted to engage in sodomy but ended up gang raping the young girl. This is simply atrocious and decadent. It is then recorded in this chapter that the Levite cut the concubine into 12 pieces and sent the pieces to each tribe of Israel. Judges 19:30, And so it was that all who saw it said, “N...

I was just told last night that there are a number of Indians in Indonesia producing movies. It is amazing how the country with the largest movie making machine in the world is exporting its capability. Everybody likes a good story and a good movie. When I read the chapter for today I felt I was watching a great movie. Judges 18:31, So they set up for themselves Micah’s carved image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh. The Danites, descendents of Dan the son of Jacob, were looking for land to possess. They come spying and they noticed Micah's home with a priest and idol. They decide to steal the idol and the priest, and go to war. They had good victory, but they obviously sold themselves to the enemy of God. This happens in many instances today. You see someone successful and you proceed to imitate their lifestyle and behavior. You fail to recognize the long term ramifications of doing everything they are doing. Though something is wrong, there is a ...

When do you know what you are doing is right? Most times it is based on our desired outcome. If the what we are doing delivers the desired outcome, we will continue in that way. We may not realize that we are missing a better outcome. God has a better outcome for each of lives, but if we choose to follow our own ways then we will be shortchanging ourselves. Judges 17:6, In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. This chapter gives the story of Micah and how he stole money from his mother who cursed the person stealing it. He went on to return it and the mother blessed him and made a shrine that he maintained. He consecrated his son to be the priest, and later consecrated a Levite to do the same. He was very proud of this, failing to realize how much he has drifted from God and His greater blessings. Judges 17:13, Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will be good to me, since I have a Levite as priest!” What are you seeki...

Have you watched a superman movie before? His superhuman abilities made for great storylines. Saving the world was his constant thought. But he had one weakness. Kryptonite. The inspiration for the superman story could have come from Samson. Samson kept being asked what was his weakness. Judges 16:7, And Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings, not yet dried, then I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” Delilah kept pestering him as she was not interested in his love and companionship. She was yielded to her greed for money and was prepared to lose Samson. Samson was tempted as well. This caused his downfall. God departed from him. Judges 16:20, And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. Yes, he died a heroic death and is recognized as a judge o...

Are you a body builder? You must be taking much time from other things to do that. I know one person that spends an hour a day investing in his "body shape". Unfortunately, my personal priorities are such that I do not engage in this manner of fitness program. However, it is a great way to keep fit and, more importantly, connect with people that need God in the gym. There is one person in the bible who did not need a gym to be strong. Judges 15:16, Then Samson said: “With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of a donkey I have slain a thousand men!” He broke through a set of new ropes used to tie him up. He had no fear, and when he was in need he would simply cry out to God, and God would deliver him. Judges 15:18-19, Then he became very thirsty; so he cried out to the Lord and said, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant; and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?” So God s...

Being smart and having great skill can have its drawbacks, if you have poor character. Greed, impatience and intolerance can get in the way. This happened to Samson. Judges 14:6, And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. He was strong and skilled. He used that to his advantage. He threw a riddle challenge that would have earned him some new clothes but he fell for his wife's request and ended up killing 30 men to pay for the wager he lost. He also kicked his wife out. This is looking like a "great start" for a man chosen by God from the womb. Samson's humaness showed up and it would be interesting how this develops for God's purposes for the people of Israel. Father, I am imperfect and I need you to keep me right with you.

40 years is a long time. I still remember when I had crossed the 40 year mark there were some significant new developments in my life carrying me to the next season of my life. You can say that I was moving to unknown territories with only God as your guide. Samson's parents probably felt the same way. Judges 13:24, So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. The entire chapter is devoted to how the Angel of the Lord reveals the plan for a barren women to have a child, and how he is to be raised. He appears twice and the whole process was probably foreign to Samson's parents because Israel had done evil and the Philistines ruled them for 40 years. It is amazing how God can have so much mercy and return to His people to give them another chance. The likely scenario was that the barren woman was crying out to God for her need, and He answered. Father, I know you are a God of many chances if we would humble ourselves.

I am currently in the book of Judges and the more I read it the more I see parallels between the present day judges and those in ancient times. They are human. They are imperfect. They can be making unwise personal decisions. One of these is described here. Judges 12:8-7, After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. He had thirty sons. And he gave away thirty daughters in marriage, and brought in thirty daughters from elsewhere for his sons. He judged Israel seven years. It is evident that he had more than one wife. His children married foreign persons. His tenure was a short 7 years and nothing significant was recorded about him. These were dark years for the people of Israel. We are in a similar situation today. Without the supremacy of God in everyday life, everyone will do what is right in their own eyes. Father, raise up leaders that would be after your own heart.

Are you fighting for your rights? You don't have to. The problem that most people have today is that they don't realize that a challenge only yields an equal or greater reaction to the challenge. The third law of thermodynamics or commonly known as Newton's third law says that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Something or someone outside the system has to intervene to cause permanent change rather than a reaction. Judges 11:13, And the king of the people of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore, restore those lands peaceably.” God came through and intervened for the people of Israel when they were faced with a stalemate. There were other lands they could cross and the people of Israel did not challenge. But when faced with the Ammonites and their challenge, God intervened and gave the people of Israel victor...

Short memories are on great supply these days. Blame it on age!? That is why keeping a calendar (electronic is great because you carry it everywhere you go on your smartphone), a journal (mine is right here) and a notebook (still prefer a physical book so that I can easily write and draw things, and flip to the pages easily). The children of Israel also have short memories. Judges 10:6, Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the Lord and did not serve Him. God is so persevering. Israel does not deserve it. Neither do the rest of us. The message of gospel is so plain for all to see but yet we choose worthless pursuits. This appears to be human tendency. There are still others who do not worship other gods, but attempt to live holy lives failing to realize that this is impossible...

Have you been watching movies lately? Especially those that show up human greed and the extend of their actions to get what they want? This chapter talks about one man, Abimelech, who kills seventy of his brothers so that he may become the leader after his father died. Judges 9:5, Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself. Would you be so greedy? It is obvious that he was not worshiping God and this seems to stem from his upbringing by a mother who worshiped other gods. This is despite Gideon, his father making this declaration. Judges 8:23, But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you.” And soon after Gideon does a terrible thing. Judges 8:27, Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it...

Do you understand the phrase "vomit blood"? It is commonly used in Malaysia to refer to situations where you give someone some instructions but they don't follow them. You draw on some patience and give them the benefit of the doubt but they still cannot follow the instructions. You are giving instructions until you vomit blood. God drew on His divine patience yet again with the people of Israel. Judges 8:33, So it was, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-Berith their god. God blessed the people of Israel greatly but every time they entered a new season of leadership or pass on in years to the next generation, they forgot the God of the universe. They worshiped other gods that was acceptable to the people around them. God delivered them from the Midianites with just 300 men against 135,000. God ought to vomit blood with these people. Judges 8:10, Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor, and their a...

Recruitment for a business is always a challenging process. Especially if you need big numbers and specialized personnel in a short time. This becomes even harder when it is for a startup with little or no revenue and funding is tight. Gideon was about to engage in his first act of war. Thousands from Israel gathered to support this, but God wanted a small number so that He could show that the victory was from the Lord. Judges 7:22, When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath. From thousands it became 300. Gideon could not believe that he could do it. God allowed a conversation in the Midian camp to be overheard by Gideon and his servant. He became brave and used simple implements to scare the Midianites . God planted the dream or perhaps dreams in the Midianites. With the breaking of the pitchers and the...

There have been a number of news reports of Hindu temples being damaged and speculations about who did it. One such news can be found in the Star newspaper in Malaysia . This is terrible and illegal since the damage is done by an intruder. But I believe that anyone trying to do this would meet their faithful consequences from the god they are touching, just like the way Gideon's father said to the people of Israel. Judges 6:31, But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!” Gideon went on to be called of God to defeat the Midians that were terrorizing the people of Israel. It is obvious why the people of Israel were losing. They were depending on Baal. They knew of God but worshiped other gods. They were double minded and were probably covering their bases. Insurance perhaps? I don't ...

Music and songs have always brought great joy in the toughest of situations. It lifts the spirits of the downtrodden. A respite from the stress, or perhaps a reminder of how great things are in spite of the challenging times. A movie has just been released called, I can only imagine . It tells the true story of the person who composed the song. Deborah and Barak also had a song and this forms the entire chapter and ends with this verse. Judges 5:31, “Thus let all Your enemies perish, O Lord! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength.” So the land had rest for forty years. Victory came and a song was sung to recapture what happened. God was yet again instrumental in turning things around. But it happened when people returned to God rather than following other gods. In the midst of trouble, who do you turn to? The naysayers will give all kinds human advice, and you can expect many. But God has a plan to prosper and not to harm you. Fath...

I love my wife. She is not only my beautiful bride, but a strong Hakka lady. She is an important part of me. God made the family uniquely for a purpose. I am so grateful that after being together for over 26 years our relationship has grown even stronger and we are partners in the ministry. Women have shown themselves important in history. Deborah is one of them. Judges 4:9, So she said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless there will be no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. Barak was told to lead a war against the Caananites but he dared Deborah, the judge, to follow him to prove that what she said will come to pass. As a result she prophesied that a woman will take his glory of battle. Judges 4:21, Then Jael, Heber’s wife, took a tent peg and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, and it went down in...

I still remember playing the yo yo when I was young. You tried very hard to keep the momentum so that it did not stop rolling. The people of Israel were like a yo yo. So indecisive and forgetful. This resulted in them not being able to remove completely the enemies around them. Judges 3:4-6, And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites . And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods. The chapter speaks of different ones that were raised up to deliver the people of Israel from these foreign kings. But, who do they have to blame? Only themselves. They were playing yo yo with God. Verse 6 is so sad. It ends with "they served their gods". When they rea...

When an ancient story is unbelievable, we call it a myth. How can angels exist? What more demonic spirits? In modern day discussions these references are relegated to bedtime stories. However, there are too many eye witness accounts about these. What about God and His works? How did the people of Israel cross the Red Sea and the Jordan? How did Jericho fall? How did the nation of Israel become a formidable fighting machine even against contemporary equipment of war. But they failed. Judges 2:2, And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’ In fact Israel started to worship the gods of the nations they defeated. This can happen when the descendents of the Joshua generation have forgotten the reality of God and relegat...

Are you familiar with the term squatters? It refers to people that decide to occupy a piece of property that does not belong to them. They would build homes and maintain a decent livelihood. Sometimes even do some farming to live off the land. The landowner could be allowing this but they will not move when the land is needed for something else. The people of Israel were allowing squatters as well. Different tribes are mentioned in this chapter to be allowing this. Judges 1:33, Nor did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh or the inhabitants of Beth Anath; but they dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh and Beth Anath were put under tribute to them. Instead of removing them they were being made to pay tribute. This seems to be not what God wanted them to do. These squatters on land promised to their father Abraham were worshiping idols and created beings rather than God. They were to be removed from the land ...

Are you forgetful? Write it down. When I was about 30 I had the continuing privilege of working for the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister's Department of Malaysia as a consultant. Unlike previous times, the government provided their stationery that included a note book. I observed how the civil servants would use it for all their meetings, including referencing notes from meetings months ago. I learned from this and have kept that habit till this day. God wants us to remember as well. Joshua 24:26, Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. And he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. Joshua 24:12, I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you, also the two kings of the Amorites, but not with your sword or with your bow. Joshua 24:15, And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served th...

Did you ever get bullied in school? I was blessed with good friends and company, and never experienced this. But I have heard some harrowing stories, including those that end up in death based on what I read in the papers. However, I have also heard how some have rallied around the person being bullied and fought off the bullies. The people of Israel had one such person that helped them fight off their enemies. Joshua 23:3, You have seen all that the Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the Lord your God is He who has fought for you. God in His sovereign way has revealed himself to every civilization, but they have rejected Him and entered into sin. As it says in Romans 6:23, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The people of Canaan were being overrun by the people of Israel as God fights on the side of the people of Israel. However, they could lose everything. Joshua 23:16, When you have transgressed...

Farewells are never easy. Especially if it involves your direct family members, especially your children. Our 3 older children came to visit over their summer break. We had such a great time together. When they left it was hard. My only prayer is that they would stay faithful to the Lord. Joshua had a similar call for the tribes returning to their land on the east side of the Jordan. Joshua 22:5, But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul. What's important? Good academic results? A good job? A good family? A stable and comfortable bank account? A healthy body? Good relationships? Don't get me wrong. These are all important, but unless we get our relationship with God right, these are pointless. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these thi...

Have you failed to do what you promised to do before? I have and I have had to seek for forgiveness. Over the years you learn from some hard lessons to be more careful with your commitments. However, God never fails on His promises. Joshua 21:44, The Lord gave them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand. God made a promise to Abraham and it is iterated through the centuries to his descendents. Finally, they settle in Canaan. Every tribe, including the Levites, get their space and they settled down. God also gave them rest from all their enemies around them. The verse says God gave them rest all around. Man may fail, but God never fails. I thank you God for all that you have done. Father, I know you are always there to take care of us.

A partner in the ministry was picked to be a juror in a trial yesterday and has to take at least the entire week off with very little compensation to listen to a trial and give a verdict. The biggest need in these things is fair justice. Joshua carried out God's instructions for sanctuary cities or cities of refuge. Joshua 20:9, These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the stranger who dwelt among them, that whoever killed a person accidentally might flee there, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stood before the congregation. Don't mistake these for the American sanctuary cities that only want to harbor illegal immigrants and not bring them to justice. Here there is an opportunity for justice to be served before a blood for blood revenge is taken. The person has to go through judgment before he can either be released from protection or kept confined in the city. Fair justice has opportunity here. Praise God that He looks i...

In our colloquial way we will always say to our children, "share share" (a Malaysian phrase) to encourage to be generous in sharing what they had. However, it goes without saying that, learning to share comes best when adults demonstrate it themselves among each other. One of the greatest time of sharing was when the land was divided among the people of Israel. Joshua 19:51, These were the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel divided as an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the Lord, at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So they made an end of dividing the country. They drew lots and everyone got their portion in that order. Everyone respected their turn and submitted it to be God's choice area for them. No one is recorded as having complained. In fact some extended their borders. Joshua 19:47, And the border of the children of Dan went beyond these, because the children ...

Are you sitting there relaxing and doing nothing? Are you watching the world go by with not a care in the world? Is there some potential you are missing because you don't see it? Perhaps worst. You see how successful others are and you are constantly looking at ways you can get there quick. Some of those plans could be against your good conscience, or even illegal. Joshua was getting impatient with his people. 7 more tribes have yet to possess the land. Joshua 18:4, Pick out from among you three men for each tribe, and I will send them; they shall rise and go through the land, survey it according to their inheritance, and come back to me. He sends them on a survey and starts drawing lots before God in Shiloh to see see which locations or cities the remaining tribes should go possess. Joshua did not stop. He pulled them out of complacency and got them to take action. Are you doodling? Doodle no more. There is work to do. Father, I cannot rest. There is work to do. Give me the wis...

When you are leading people and you allow the people a say, you will get "a say". Joshua seems to have allowed for people to approach him with their special requests or demands. But, he responds with the authority of God. Joshua 17:17-18, And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—saying, “You are a great people and have great power; you shall not have only one lot, but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong". Joshua was clear. God had given the land, the people were great and powerful enough to takeover the land. The enemy may look formidable, but God has made them great. These are after all the descendents of Joseph the Prime Minister of Egypt. I like the way Joshua responded. They presented all their constraints and Joshua heard them. But, Joshua responded with authority and ...

Yesterday I wrote about the enemy within being dangerous. While that may be the case, you could become a strong influence to make your enemies God fearing and great neighbors. The people of Israel continued to settle with the people of Canaan in their midst. Joshua 16:10, And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers. There is a saying that, "If you can't beat them, join them". I would say something else. If you can't beat them, influence them for good. Right from those ancient times, the blessing of a relationship with God was to be experienced by all people. Abraham, the forefather of the people of Israel, was promised this of his descendents. What does it take? Our position in God and obedience to His ways must be evident. Father, let me be an influencer for good so that many will be blessed.