July 21, 2024 – What Are You Pursuing?
Judges 9:14-15
Sermon: 1805 Thorns in a Nation’s Side
Pray Over This
“Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us!’ and the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me as king over you, then come and take shelter in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon!’”
Judges 9:14-15
Ponder This
You need to listen to God’s Word if you want God to listen to your word. Jotham spoke to the people, who had turned away their ears from the hearing of the law. He told them that even their prayer had become an abomination to God. Jotham told this parable of the trees looking for a king. They went to an olive tree, a fig tree, and a vine, asking each to rule over them and each said no. Each of the trees had their excuses for their necessities, their niceties, and their luxuries.
Finally, they went to the bramble, a briary bush. They asked it to rule. He said, “I’ll be glad to. You can rest in my shade; I’ll be a shadow for you.” Can you imagine a bramble, a briary bush, acting as a shade tree? The bramble has no fruit. The bramble has no shade. It has no lumber, but it rips, it shreds, it chokes, it clings, it grows, and it’s very hard to root out. But these people fled their responsibilities and let the bramble rule. We must be careful that we are not so set on the thing we seek that we miss God in the process and act foolishly as a result.
- How can you consider God’s Word when you come to Him in prayer?
- When you look back on your life, what is one decision you know was clearly wrong that seemed right at the time? How does God use even these moments?
Practice This
Spend time in God’s Word and pray according to the things you read.
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