Why Should I Help You?

Judges 11:7-8

But Jephthah said to them, “Aren’t you the ones who hated me and drove me from my father’s house? Why do you come to me now when you’re in trouble?”

“Because we need you,” the elders replied. “If you lead us in battle against the Ammonites, we will make you ruler over all the people of Gilead.”

Even though Jephthah’s father was Gilead, his mother was a prostitute. So, even though Jephthah did nothing wrong but be born, he was pushed away and exiled. The people of Gilead didn’t want him around.

Until, that is, they were in trouble. The king of the Ammonites said, “By the way, you are sitting on our land, and we want it back.” Never mind the fact that the Ammonites first lost the land to the Amorites. Am I right? See what I did there? Anyway, they lost the land, then Israel came and defeated the Amorites (Am I… never mind). So Israel didn’t take anything from the Ammonites that they hadn’t already lost.

All of a sudden, the people of Gilead wanted Jephthah back. They didn’t have a leader who could do what Jephthah could do, so they reached out.

Jephthah could have said no, but he loved his people, so he led Israel’s army to a great victory.

There are a lot of people who run from God. They push him out of their lives until something scary happens. It could be a health scare, it could be a car accident, whatever it is, they cry out to the God they have rejected for help.

Why should God help you if you have rejected him? Human nature says, “Why should I help you? You’re not my friend.”

But God is not human. He wants us to follow him, he wants us to live for him, and he will welcome us back if we seek him. It doesn’t matter how far you have strayed from God, he is willing to forgive and restore you. Whatever you do, don’t put yourself in a tragic circumstance to learn that lesson. Do it now. Your Father is waiting to welcome you home.

Today’s Readings: Judges  11,12; Psalm 50; 2 Corinthians 1

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