Surprised by Judges 2

This morning as I got out my Bible and schedule for daily readings I got excited! It is Judges 2-5 today! And you know what that means.... EHUD!  So I began reading in chapter two and a verse immediately jumped out at me. Joshua had just died, after living through all the amazing works coming out of Egypt and then through the wilderness, and then as God gave Canaan to Israel. But then it says this:

And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel. (Judges 2:10 ESV)

 The very next generation after Joshua did not know about all that God had done for Israel! No wonder everything spiraled downhill after Joshua all the way to David! And then time and time again in the OT we see generation after generation not aware of what God had/has done for them.

I just made me think about how I am passing on the greatness of God to my kids. Will I allow them to not know what God has done? Will I take this taks lightly, and just assume they will know God? I often am confronted with students in Uganda who think they know God just because they came from a Christian family. But will my kids just assume they know God because they came from a Christian family? It becomes different when you personalize it, rather than criticizing what you see in others.

God, help me instruct my children in your ways, so that they know you and your many great works!

And now, onto EHUD!... And SHAMGAR!

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As a bonus feature of this post, here is a video of a song that has really been encouraging my faith recently.

Struggling to worship (musically)

Today I have been listening to the new Passion - White Flag album. I often find, like many Christians, that worship music that is well done really gives a lift to my soul. But I often struggle fully engaging with it, thinking that it is the well done harmonies, drum beats, and overall sound that is lifting me, not the words or the connection to God.

This internal analysis is heightened at a "worship concert/event" where there are flashy lights, attractive visuals behind displayed lyrics, and stylish leaders. Then you begin looking around at others engaging in worship, and you ponder, "what is the focus of their worship?" Is it God, or is it the show?

I also find myself really analyzing the lyrics of the songs being sung. Often the words are really solid, but the melody is weak, making it hard to engage. Then there are the songs that sound great, but the lyrics are weak. Or they describe God more as a boyfriend than as a glorious Saviour.

So this is the struggle I face. I am tempted to turn off my critical view of the whole thing, and just engage. But I want to worship God in Spirit AND in truth. It is a struggle for me.

However, when we are lucky enough to be blessed by a song that has solid lyrics as well as well done musically, that is when it is just so great to worship with all our heart! One of the greatest examples of this for me personally is "In Christ Alone". You are basically singing the story of the gospel, with great passion and excitement as the song builds and reaches conclusion. The music and lyrics combine to tell the great story!

Do others struggle with this same tension when in musical worship settings? What are some things you have found helpful?