6 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord...And because the Israelites forsook the LORD and no longer served Him, 7 He became angry with them...

11 The LORD replied, "When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, 12 the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands?  13 But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you.  14Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen.  Let them save you when you are in trouble!"  15 But the Israelites said to the LORD, "We have sinned.  Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now."  16 Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the LORD.  And He could bear Israel's misery no longer.

Selected verses from Judges chapter 10

I read this chapter to the boys this week.  We are reading through Judges.  Let me tell you the hope this inspired within me.  As I keep feeling like I am tripping up and landing flat on my face these days, it is easy to feel like there is much more fail than pass, let alone win.  As I make plans to do better, it is one step forward, trip, fall down the hill, and land flat on face.

I could just hear the exasperated frustration in God's tone as He told Israel to go to the gods they had been serving.  He didn't really mean for them to go to other gods, but it is the picture of God the Father having had it up to His all-seeing eyeballs with His delinquent kids.

"Again, Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD..."  How many times is this in the Bible?  How many times is this in my life?  I will admit I am getting a bit caught up in my failures and frustrations right now, but this passage almost made me cry at the hope and love it exudes.  God, having had His face slapped for the millionth time, turned it once again towards His love to save them.  He couldn't bear their pain anymore.  

This is the God I serve.  He loves me enough to throw me curve balls so I will keep running to Him. He loves me enough to not let me get away with being a mess.  He loves me enough to turn His face back to me when I hurt Him.  He loves me enough to address my pain.