King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Is It In God's Will?
Date: Thursday March 15, 2012Today's Chapters: Judges 9-10

Hello My Friend,

We all want to be successful in life, we all feel good about accomplishing something we worked so hard for, but I know when I fail at something, especially when I worked so hard, I do not feel so great, in fact, I feel like a complete failure at everything I do. The truth is, I am not a failure and neither are you! Let me tell you, the majority of the time the reason we fail at something is not because of something we are or are not doing, it's because it is not in God's will for us. When people desire things that are against God's will one of two things happens, they either move on and through God's grace find they are successful in something else or they continue to go against God's will and find success in through deception. However, sooner or later, anyone who goes up against God will fail and it will be fatal. “But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another...Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” -Galatians 6:4,7-9.

Gideon, had several wives, so many the he had seventy sons as a result, he also had one concubine, in Shechem, which also bare him a son, named Abimelech. Abimelech, wanted nothing to do with God, he wanted to be a powerful leader, like his father, more than that, he wanted to be king of Israel and stooped to the lowest level he could possibly have to do that. After Gideon (also named Jerubbaal) died, Abimelech urged his seventy half-brothers to let him become the first king of Israel. However, his brothers knew that God was their king and against Gideon's wishes, but that did not stop him. He negotiated with the people in Shechem and received a large sum of money from the false god Baal temple treasury to pay men to murder his brothers, all except one was killed, Jotham. In this rather odd illustration Jotham explains the importance of keeping God as king.

“And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?..Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.” - Judges 9:7-9,14,15.

The trees represent Israel, the olive tree, which was the most useful of all the trees represents Gideon, and the bramble a worthless plant, whose end is to be burned, represented Abimelech. Jotham points out the ingratitude of the people in raising Abimelech upon the ruin of Gideon’s house, and foretells the judgment which would fall upon both parties for making him a king. While we are to respect all who are in authority, there is only One King and that is Jesus Christ, His decisions and judgment goes above any earthly ruler and we have the right to do what is right. “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein...Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you...Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” - Hebrews 13:9,17,20,21.
For three years Abimelech was in his glory, he reigned as king, but a battle broke out and not only did the people of Shechem die, Abimelech was later killed as well, by a woman, which was the shame of a man. “And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull. Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.” - Judges 9:52-55.

Those who choose to obtain things in a wicked way will always reap wickedness upon themselves, they have no one to blame, but themselves for the suffering and in some cases even death that they brought upon them.God will help us succeed and will even give us what we desire, but, there are two reasons we do not get them, instead of waiting on God's time table and letting Him get us their, we take things into our own hands. Or we are asking Him for something that goes completely against His will for us. Why would something not be in God's will? God will go against anything that we desire that goes completely against His commands, that could will harm us, or cause harm to others, this includes marriage and careers. “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God...Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” - James 4:2-4,8-10. 

After Abimelech died Israel went through the same pattern, served God under godly authority, did evil once the person died. Now, for eighteen years Israel had been under the control of the Philistines, they had done evil in the sight of the Lord once again, forsaking Him for the false gods of not only the Philistines, but the Amorites, Ammonites, and every other man made god of the people dwelling in Canaan. This time when the Israelites went to God for help they did not get the answer they were expecting. “And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I delivered you out of their hand. Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee; deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.” - Judges 10:11-16.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior then you are a child of God, that means God expects you to behave like one of His children. Of course, we are all sinners and need room to grow, but God's soul will not grieve over a soul that has no intention of removing known sin from their lives. Yes, it takes time to overcome some sins, but if one is truly sincere God will hear their misery and His soul will grieve for them and He will help them overcome them. God can help us overcome any sin, if we are willing to repent of it, meaning turn away from it. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” - Matthew 5:6-8.

Today's Psalm: 10:4 - ”The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.”
Today's Proverb: 13:21 - “Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.”
Today's Prayer: God, I do want to be successful in all that You call me to do and I know that with Your help I can be. I know that my failures are partially because I have not been patient or it is simply not in Your will to give me what I am desiring. Lord, help me to understand Your will for me in every area of my life, show me any errors in obtaining things that go against Your commands or could cause harm to me or someone else. I want to be completely dependent on Your decisions and not my own reasoning. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night. God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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