There's Something About Repentance

But the Israelites said to the Lord, “We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now.” Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel’s misery no longer.

Judges 10:15-16 

The book of Judges is story after story of Israel forsaking God to serve other gods. Every time they turn to idols they of course end up being oppressed. Eventually, after eighteen years, they call on God to deliver them. In chapter 10, after delivering them several times God tells them cry out to the "gods" they had been worshipping. 

Eighteen years. That's a lot of oppression. That's a long time wallowing in the same sin. Eighteen years of looking to false gods for hope and only being oppressed. Does this sound familiar to anyone else besides me? Don't we do the same thing? We keep looking to things, people, and experiences to make us happy rather than serving the Lord. 

Israel not only confessed their sins they repented. They got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. I don't know if the Baals and Ashtoreths are the same thing as the gods of pleasure and "I got to have it now" that we see all around us everyday, but, they still can lead us away from the Lord and oppress us year after year. The deal is whether or not we are willing to call upon the Lord and repent. 

You see it's easy to say God loves us and forgives us and is always faithful. But, it's not so easy sometimes to have to give up that idol, that sin, that may seem good for a moment but in the end always oppresses. I once had a student come up and tell me that a girl kicked him, right where it counted, twice! I asked her why she kicked him and she told me that he asked to kiss her and she told him, "OK, but I get to kick you." Kiss, kick, kiss, kick. I said to the boy, "That must of been some kiss." He shook his head like it was just so-so. Yet he kissed her again... man isn't that just a perfect picture of us and sin? We don't mind the kiss but that kick is pretty bad. 

The good news is, if we really turn back to God, he delivers us. God will make a way out. God will provide.