Today’s Tasting: Judges 8–9: Gideon recognized that the victories he won were victories given him by God. Therefore, he refused to allow Israel to make him king. Gideon honored God by making a golden ephod, but some people worshiped and bowed down to the ephod, as if it were some kind of god. Gideon brought peace to Israel for forty years but as soon as he died, the Israelites neglected the God of Israel and fell once again into worshiping other nation’s gods.
Abimelech, a wicked son of Gideon, sought the position as king. He cared for nothing else but becoming the king of Israel. Because of this, he killed his brothers. Though Abimelech ruled over a few people, God never recognized him as a judge or king of Israel. He died a terrible death and left a legacy of curses and unrighteousness, unlike his father, Gideon.
Today’s Nourishment: What legacy will you leave your children, family, community, and church? The legacy my mom left was that of an eagle rising above her circumstances. Mother never saw celebrity status of any kind. However, she taught her children to persevere amidst difficult circumstances. She taught her children to choose to forgive and love instead of holding grudges.
Known as a seamstress, a mender, a repairer of the breach, Mother not only brought pieces of fabric together to create beautiful home goods and garments, but brought pieces of lives together to create reconciliation in families—natural families, blended families, church families, a community of families, and factories of working families.
Although Mother’s time on earth has ended, the tapestry of reconciliation she designed continues. Upon her passing, we discovered her prayer journals. After reading through a number of them, we realized she had left us, as her legacy, a ministry of reconciliation.
We hold the choice to leave a legacy like Gideon, righteous living, and Mother, reconciliation, or like Abimelech, curses and unrighteous living. Which kind of legacy will you leave?
Tomorrow’s Delight: Judges 10–12
Carolyn Marlowe, CCLC
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