After Joshua and his generation died, the people started doing what they thought was right instead of what God said was right. By the end of the book of Judges, one of the tribes committed such a grave sin that the rest of the nation went to war against them. After the war was over, they stopped to contemplate how their country had arrived at this place and how they might preserve the rest of the tribe that sinned.

When they all started going their own way, their nation began to suffer. God had given them laws, but they weren’t following them. It is the same with us. When we begin going our own way, our life begins to fall apart. So, we must realize this and begin doing things God’s way in order to get our lives back on track. When we do this, God will forgive, redeem, and restore.

Samson was super strong, but also sort of a bad guy. He had a weakness for women, and he did not follow God’s laws concerning them. But we all have weaknesses, and no one follows God’s laws perfectly. Maybe God used a man whose flaws were so visible, so that we would see God’s power instead of Samson’s, and so we can see that the Lord can use us even though we fail to live up to His standards. We don't have to be good enough, we just have to rely on Him. When we are weak, He is strong.

Satan tricked Samson into thinking that his temporary situation would be permanent, that he only had two choices, and that God would still give him power if he was no longer dedicated to Him. He does the same thing to us and we can't fall for it. We do not have to choose between being miserable for the rest of our lives or giving into temptation. There is another way. God always provides us with a way out. It is also a lie that we don't have to dedicate ourselves to Him and He will still save us. We cannot accept Jesus as our Savior and reject Him as our Lord. We can't expect Him to sacrifice for our salvation but refuse to make any sacrifices to serve Him. These are lies from Satan and we must recognize them so we can take the better path.

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, dedicating our lives to Him, then He sends His Spirit to be with us forever. The Holy Spirit came over Samson every time He needed strength, but the Holy Spirit is not with us only when we need Him. He is with us every minute for the rest of our lives, bringing us power too. But not the outward power of Samson, but inward power and ability.

As parents we may begin praying for our children before they’re even born. But are we asking God for what we want or what He wants for them? Do we ask for His guidance from the very beginning or wait until it starts getting hard or we don’t know what to do? Do we dedicate their lives to Him? Are our lives fully dedicated to Him? Do we even think to ask Him what His purposes are for them and how we can grow and nurture them to accomplish those purposes?

From the moment Manoah was told he would have a son, He began to pray. His wife was told that their son had a specific purpose in the Lord before he was ever conceived. So, Manoah prayed that God would teach him how to raise this special child and God’s only instructions were: dedicate yourself and your child to Me from this time forward. So, the question for us today is, are we willing to dedicate our family to Him forever.

We will often unite against outside forces. But as soon as the threat is over, it seems like we turn our fight inward and begin warring with each other. This weakens any nation, community, family, or church. Without unity we cannot be strong. Diversity is only our strength if we unify. If our differences cause us to be divided, then we will be weak.

When Israel no longer faced a threat from without, the Ephraimites turned on their fellow Israelites. First, we study Israel's civil war, then we look at ourselves and what we can do to unify while also recognizing the tactics of the enemy.

What happens when you open your mouth? Do others benefit from what you say or would it often be better for you to have just kept quiet. In our lesson today, one time Jephthah speaks eloquently and intelligently and the next he makes a promise without thinking it through and it costs him his daughter. We also talk about keeping our vows to God, if we should ever break them, and when that is. At the end we go through many verses that talk about speaking wisely, thoughtfully, and to the benefit of others.

Have you ever had a friend who does not call until they need something? They do not pursue a real relationship with you. They may not even know what is going on in your life or seem to care. Maybe they do not even like you, or at least not as much as others. But if they think you have something to offer, then all of the sudden, they are your best friend. This is how the Israelites treated God. They repeatedly betrayed Him, then begged for His forgiveness when they needed Him. They were constantly testing His patience and taking advantage of His love for them. Do we do the same?

A refuge is the person or place that we run to when we need protection, comfort, advice, or help. Though God is the only adequate refuge, because we cannot see Him or hear His voice audibly, we often go to the people and places we can see and talk to. Then, a king is the one that we cede all our power to, the one we trust with our lives, the one we submit to. God alone is worthy of such power or faith.

But the people of Shechem repeatedly took refuge in their houses of Baal, yet their god was not able to protect them. Their worship of foreign gods along with their desire to make a man betrayed their loyalty and reliance on the One True God and King. We may not worship other gods or turn to them for refuge, but do we look to the Lord and bow to only Him or do we rely on ourselves and others while placing other things above Him?

Is God your King or do you profess Him to be king, yet rule yourself? You can say God is the King, but do you serve Him or your own selfish desires? You may say you have no right to rule yourself, but do you still act like you are in charge, doing what you please instead of submitting to His ways? Do you gather riches and glory for yourself instead of gathering riches in heaven and directing your praise to Him? Are you faithful servants to your King, focused on pleasing Him?