GRIEVING GOD

Today's reading: Judges 7-11

"But the Israelites pleaded with the Lord and said, We have sinned. Punish us as you see fit, only rescue us today from our enemies. Then the Israelites put aside their foreign gods and served the Lord. And he was grieved by their misery." Judges 10:15-16 NLT

Two things I have noticed in the verses above...

1. The Israelites put aside their foreign gods. Put aside? As in kept them as a 'fallback'? Did they put them aside as in stored them in their closets for another time when serving and following God seemed too big a task?

2. God was grieved by their misery. I wonder, was He broken hearted that they had indeed fallen into the hands of the enemy--as He told them they would? Or...was He grieved to know that their little gods were still at hand? Still in the picture? Still, probably, in their hearts and minds?

I find myself in the words of this portion of Scripture.

I have, too many times to recount, pulled my handy-dandy god out of my back pocket and relied to heavily on it that a fall was all that would break the idolatrous spirit I was housing.

I also have felt God grieving over me. My choices. My lack of faith. My independent nature.

Do you see yourself?