"Patterns"
Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord's sight. They served the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia. They abandoned the Lord and no longer served him at all. (Judges 10:6 NLT)
We operate in patterns. We live our lives based on patterns that we have developed over time. Our lives at home, work, & leisure are full of patterns. Actions that we repeat over & over again, some on purpose & others as second nature.
Judges is a picture of the patterns that the Israelites are living their lives in. They enjoy God's blessings, forsake him, are given over to their enemies, repent, are saved, & enjoy God's blessing again. Over & over & over & over again this happens to this people. Leadership is scarce & they serve the Lord as long as the leader is alive but as soon as the leader dies they turn from the Lord again, even worse than the previous generation.
Sound familiar? Many of us find ourselves in the same destructive pattern in our relationship with God. We follow him for a season, rebel, experience his discipline, cry out to him, & are restored to fellowship again. Sometimes this happens in a matter of days or even the same day! God's heart for us is to break this pattern. Not that we will live perfectly but rather consistently.
We must follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit, repent of our sin, & make sure our affections are always centered on Christ & nothing else. This will ensure that we walk consistently with God by developing better patterns in following him.
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