Judges 10: Fruit Takes Time

“So they got rid of the foreign gods among them and worshiped the Lord, and He became weary of Israel’s misery.” — Judges 10:16 (CSB)

Oh my goodness, …today’s reading had me shaking my head. It’s like the Israelites just can’t help themselves.  Over and over again—no matter how many miracles they witness, no matter how many times God shows up—they fall right back into the same cycles. Worshiping other gods. Wandering. Forgetting. It feels like watching someone stuck in addiction. You want to help, but it's heartbreaking to witness the struggle.

It also reminded me of those moments in public when you see a parent making all kinds of threats trying to get their child to behave—you know the ones:

“If you don’t stop, we’re leaving.”

“If you do that one more time…” I cringe every time, because you can already see how it’s going to end. Listen—no judgment. I’ve been that parent. I still am sometimes. I’ve made empty threats. I’ve not followed through. I’ve also been the mom who, the moment the words leave my mouth, knows I have to follow through... and I hate it. I want to be the fun mom. The pushover mom. The “sure, let it slide” mom. That's not love. Kids need the consistency. They need the discipline AND the mercy. God doesn't let us slide on everything either.

After eighteen years of oppression, the Israelites finally cry out to God. Did they wait eighteen years to mean it? Were they crying out all along but not really ready to surrender? We don’t know. What we do know is—God says He’s done! The good news is, that's not the end of the story...like the loving and good Father, He sees their misery. He hears their cries. Compassion wins, again.

When my kids are being selfish or lacking basic kindness, I can get so frustrated. I feel like I’ve failed them. I go from feeling sad and a total failure to being taken for granted. I’ll bend over backwards to love and support them, only to feel slapped in the face the moment they act like they don’t need me anymore or get what they want. I can't help but wonder—how often do I do the same thing to God?

Im always rooting for my child—I want to believe in them. I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. I want to believe they mean it this time. That’s God’s heart toward me too. No matter what—I’m still His daughter. He’s still my Father. He’s slow to anger. Quick to compassion. He’s gentle with me... but He doesn’t roll over. He loves me enough to discipline me—and love me through the discipline.

I feel like I’m constantly wrestling between my desire to offer compassion and my responsibility to give discipline. Maybe more than anything, I’m realizing how much I wrestle with the tension of both. Parenting is challenging for sure. The Lord is such a beautiful example to follow. His love is hard to fathom. As much as I love my kids—and I really do—I know they are loved even more by their heavenly Father.

God doesn’t just tolerate us. He doesn’t give up on us. He gives us opportunity after opportunity to get it right.

Check out Fruit Takes Time by SEU Worship. It’s a reminder that while the process is slow, it is producing something good.