As God had promised, the children of Israel entered Canaan as a people who had grown to be as numerous as stars in the sky. They conquered the kings of the land and prospered (25).

However, the Israelites were not able to maintain the blessing. They became arrogant to God's blessing and turned against God, so God put them in the enemy's hands. Then God would deliver them when Israel cried out in agony (29-31). While God's repeated grace proved his faithfulness, the Israelites became more stubborn and arrogant by treating the blessing lightly (35). In their prayer, they considered their history and confessed the sins of their ancestors.

The prayer went on to plead with God because of their great distress (37). If we remember our failures and unfaithfulness, we may feel ashamed to come to God asking for another deliverance. Of course, none of us deserve such grace. We only ask out of our trust in his love and faithfulness. Let us come before God and ask him to deliver us. Our God is merciful and hears our prayer.


Application: Father, I gain the courage to confess my sins and repent because I trust you. Please help me trust you and hold to your word in both times of blessing and distress.
One Word: Trust in God's love and faithfulness