Spiritual Therapy

For years, I worked as plumber, crawling under houses, into attics, and on top of roofs to install or repair plumbing and heating systems.  Recently, I went to help a family repair a frozen water line under their trailer, and was amazed at how hard it was to do what I used to do without even thinking about it.    It tested my strength in ways it had not been tested for years, making me aware of how much I had allowed my strength to deteriorate and forcing me to address that weakness.  Unfortunately, the same thing can happen to people spiritually because they don’t have to exercise their faith regularly.   We need something to challenge our faith periodically to help keep our faith strong. 

In an effort to keep Israel strong, God had left various groups of unbelievers among them to test their faith, as we see in Judges 3:1-4.  “Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan; Only that the generations of the children of Israel might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before knew nothing thereof; Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering in of Hamath.   And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.” 

While working as a plumber, I had to exercise those muscles every day, and while they were fighting to take over the Land, Israel had had to exercise their faith regularly.  Unfortunately, when I quit working as a plumber, it was easy to just not exercise those muscles, changing the way I did things to adjust as they became weaker.  Our society has developed a great many devices to help strengthen those who find certain things difficult.  Unfortunately, in many cases rather than using them to regain their strength, many people simply become dependent on the devices, and allow their strength to continue to deteriorate.  That is what happened to Israel spiritually in Judges 3:5-7.  “And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites: And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.  And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim and the groves.”

It is frustrating to watch comparatively young healthy people riding the electric carts into Walmart because they have not developed enough strength to walk the full distance.  Sometimes you wish you could take away all those carts and force them to get up and walk.  God got frustrated with Israel, selling them into slavery to force them to turn back and trust him, as Judges 3:8 tells us.  “Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.”  It took eight years before Israel got frustrated enough to make the effort to turn back to God. 

Like a person who has gotten so weak they can’t do what needs to be done and goes to the doctor for help, Israel finally called on the Lord for deliverance.  When they finally did, he sent them a judge to act much like a physical therapist, to help and guide them in their recovery.  Judges 3:9-11 describes this.  “And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.  And the spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.  And the land had rest forty years.”

As long as they are under the guidance of a physical therapist, most people will continue to regain their strength, and much of their former ability and will be able to function for many years in the future.  Similarly, as long as they had the Judge there to push them to continue to follow the Lord, Israel grew spiritually stronger.  The results would be felt for forty years. 

Sometimes we get frustrated as Christians, because we have such constant struggles.  Many times those struggles are deliberately to test our strength and force us to exercise our faith so that we can become stronger, just as God’s leaving their enemies tested Israel’s faith.  James 1:2-4 commands, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”  While it may be frustrating to have to deal with the trials, God is using them to make you stronger.  If you refuse to cooperate, you will never become as strong as you should be.