Ask for help!
There are times when you need help in your faith.
April 23
The leaders of Judah said to their relatives from the tribe of Simeon, “Join with us to fight against the Canaanites living in the territory allotted to us. Then we will help you conquer your territory.” So the men of Simeon went with Judah.
Judges 1:3
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Ask for help!
The book of Judges opens on a positive note. God had led them into the Promised Land by Joshua. Parcels of the land had been allotted to each of the tribes, and they were told to drive out the Canaanites and take the land given to them. God promised to be with them and to go before them to give them victory. All they had to do was trust God and go do it.
Judges opens with the tribe if Judah taking the lead in this venture of faith. Judah was the tribe through whom the Messiah would come into the world. The tribe of Judah sets out to occupy the land allotted to them, but they decide not to do it on their own. The leaders of the tribe of Judah invite the tribe of Simeon to help them, with the promise that they will return the favor.
This was a very logical arrangement. The original allocation to the tribe of Judah was huge, the largest of all the tribes. When it came time to allot a territory to the tribe of Simeon, they were given land within the territory of Judah. So, it made perfect sense for them to work together to drive the Canaanites out of the land they were given.
This was a greater step of faith for the tribe of Simeon. They were being asked to trust God and the leaders of the tribe of Judah. They had to commit to help the tribe of Judah take their land, and then they would keep their word and help the tribe of Simeon take their land. Later in the chapter we read that the tribe of Judah did in fact help the tribe of Simeon take their land, though, it appears that neither tribe effectively drove out all the Canaanites from the land, which would be a problem later on.
Anyone paying attention to the world around knows that sometimes people need some help. While we are not given a land to conquer and drive out a physical enemy, there is spiritual territory that needs to be taken in people’s lives. And this is true in all our lives, we all have things God wants to do to make us more like His Son. What the tribe of Judah asked for and what Simeon did is a principle of how faith works.
There are times when you need help in your faith, and there are times when you need to help others in their faith. Pride and selfishness often get in the way of that. It is not weakness to admit that you could use some help. The tribe of Judah was the largest, and probably the strongest of all the tribes of Israel, and still they asked for help. Asking for help and giving help when asked both require faith. Trust God, believe that His Word is true, lay down your pride and selfishness, and start taking back the spiritual territory given to us. Jesus, help us to trust You and help us to move into the life You promised us.