Light for the Journey

  Judges chapter 6 opens with a familiar and sobering pattern: the people of Israel once again do evil in the sight of the Lord. As a result, they are handed over to the Midianites for seven long years. The oppression is severe—so severe that the Israelites hide in mountain clefts, caves, and strongholds just to survive. Their crops are ravaged, their livestock stolen, and their strength drained. What stands out is not just their suffering, but how long it takes before they finally cry out to God. This chapter invites us to reflect on a truth that is both humbling and hopeful: God meets us in our lowest places, but He also calls us out of them into something greater. When Israel cries out, God first sends a prophet, not immediately a deliverer. The prophet reminds them of their history—how God brought them out of Egypt, delivered them from slavery, and gave them the land. But then comes the heart of the issue: “You have not listened to my voice.” Before God fixes their situation, H...