BIBLE READING: Judges 9-11
We all know someone who entered life with some sort of baggage. They may have been abandoned as a child, the product of a broken home, or maybe even someone who just constantly made bad decisions. Even though they might have a feeling of emptiness, worthlessness or even broken beyond repair, there is hope. If God’s word offers us anything, it is hope. Hope for the future (John 14.14). Hope that will never disappoint (Romans 5.1-6). Hope for a better life (John 10.10). In the story of Judges, we have an example of that hope. Jephthah was a child that was the product of a broken home, his mother was a prostitute. As he grew up his brothers kicked him out of the house denying him any inheritance. As a result, Jephthah began to make some poor decisions concerning the company he kept; the Bible calls them “worthless fellows”. However, God still had big plans for Jephthah. God used him to become Israel’s ninth judge and lead God’s people to defeat the enemies of Israel. Now that doesn’t mean his life was perfect, in fact there were times I am sure he resorted back to his old self. A prime example of this is the harsh vow that resulted in giving his daughter into the care of the Lord. The Scripture is clear of Jephthah’s sin and feeling of regret and sorrow, but it is also clear of his success that he accredited to God. The lesson for us is that it doesn’t matter who we are, God has a plan for our lives. He wants to give us hope for the future, a hope that will never disappoint and the hope of a better life, no matter what the odds against us may seem like.