The schemes of the enemy are few, but they are easy to fall into. The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life are stumbling blocks that all of us have to deal with at one point or another. How an we combat these schemes that the enemy constantly throws at us? By living lives of integrity, generosity, and humility.

We often think that God only calls upon people who are brave and don’t know what fear feels like. That isn’t true at all. God does not call the brave. He gives courage to those He calls. God’s answer to fear is never rooted in our power. It is always rooted in His presence.

We all have a call from God upon our lives. It is our responsibility to be obedient to that call. God made us different, women and men. But these differences are meant to complement each other, not contradict one another.

We have all experienced seasons of pain and hardship where it is difficult to understand why we are enduring them. We need to remember that God has a plan for these times and will use them. We cannot have a testimony without having gone through a test. If dependence on God is the goal, perhaps our weakness is our greatest asset.

The Book of Judges is all about God’s relentless pursuit of His rebellious people. No matter how often they turned from Him and lived lives of disobedience, He was always willing to send a leader to shepherd them from their sinful ways and back toward Him. The cycle of sin is one that is constant in the story of humanity but if we come to God with repentance, He will welcome us back into His wide open arms.