Learning from Mistakes

I'm so glad you are here! I hope during your visit you get a glimpse of God's heart for we become what we are gazing at. For a few more days I am writing my way through Judges sharing glimpses of God's heart and character for a weekday devotional. To check out the entire series so far head on over the the Judges Devotional.  

Have you had a chance to check out all the awesome blog posts linked up from Friday? I bet you'll be encouraged. 

Have you ever done something without talking to God about it first? What was the result?
What happened after that? Did you turn to the Lord and ask Him what to do or did you try to fix it without turning to Him, thereby doing it again?

When the Israelites made their rash vow of not giving their daughters to the Benjamites without talking to the Lord about it, the men of Jabesh-Gilead had not been there. They were the only group of people who hadn't made the rash vow. The Israelites realized they had messed things up, acting without talking to the Lord about what they were doing, so to try to fix their mistake (again without talking to the Lord) they decided to go kill everyone from Jabesh-Gilead (their fellow people I might add) and take their virgin daughters. Crazy!

"So they sent twelve thousand warriors to Jabesh-gilead with orders to kill everyone there, including women and children. "This is what you are to do," they said. "Completely destroy all the males and every woman who is not a virgin." Among the residents of Jabesh-gilead they found four hundred young virgins who had never slept with a man, and they brought them to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.  The Israelite assembly sent a peace delegation to the little remnant of Benjamin who were living at the rock of Rimmon. Then the men of Benjamin returned to their homes, and the four hundred women of Jabesh-gilead who were spared were given to them as wives. But there were not enough women for all of them. The people felt sorry for Benjamin because the LORD had left this gap in the tribes of Israel." Judges 21:10-14

Why in the world would they do the exact same thing in response to the thing they are stressed about!? They acted without talking to God and so to get themselves out of thier predicament they think they should act without talking to God. Oh my. 

But isn't that just so like us! We are fixers. When we mess something up, it seems like human nature to want to fix it. Maybe out of pride, to show we can, or self-suffienciency, or insecurity in failing, but no matter the reason it's safe to say humility is not our default. Humility, admitting reality of who we are (not perfect) is not something that just falls out of us. It comes from the Lord, the Changer of Hearts.

Our ways will always fall short when we trust in our "horses" (our strength and resources Ps. 20:7). But those who trust in the name of the Lord will renew their strength. (Isa. 40:31) Trusting in the Lord, turning to Him, relying on Him for wisdom returns hope. Hope that the thing we messed up will be redeemed.

It is possible to not learn from our mistakes and just keep doing the same thing over and over. 

Oh Lord, please give us teachable spirits, humble, willing to submit to Your authority in our lives. Help us be quick to turn to You and not rely on our own reasoning apart from You. Give us clean hands. Give us pure hearts, let us not lift our hands to another. Oh God let us be a generation that seeks, seeks Your face Oh God of Jacob.

You might also like Adoption vs Biological, the Attributes of God, What's God Up to?, Reality Marriage, But I'm Not Called

So What's Next?

I have been super duper excited about my next series Creation Revealing the Glory of God, and I can't believe it's almost here! Each post is going to highlight some awesome thing God created and how they show off His awesome character. Things like sea pigs and the star-nosed mole. I am seriously in awe of God preparing for it!!

Subscribe so you don't miss any of this next series. 

#455 Being featured at Create with Joy. Thanks!!!
#456 Getting the laundry done
#457 Clearing up misunderstandings with Austin
#458 Peaches on our new peach tree
#459 Cherries growing 
#460 Taking plastic off our windows
#461 Amazing leadership students who love Jesus with all they are.

I'm linked up with the beautiful ladies at  A Holy Experience, The Beauty in His Grip, Nebraska Graceful, The Wellspring, The Better Mom, Homestead Revival, Pause on the Path, Create with Joy,Carissa Graham, Finding Heaven,  Women Living Well, Good Morning Girls, We Are That Family,   Deep Roots at Home   

Photo Credit 
Mind Sharing?