A man went to his neighbor to borrow a shovel but was told that he couldn’t because the neighbor had to take his wife to the doctor next Tuesday. “What’s that got to do with me borrowing your shovel?” the man asked. “When you don’t want to do something,” the neighbor answered, “any excuse will do.”
We make excuses to not trust and obey God all the time: no one’s interested in the gospel! I’m too busy to read my Bible! I’m too exhausted to go to church this morning! We placate ourselves with these, but does God accept any of our excuses?
I. Judges 1:1-18. God’s people had just lost a great leader in Joshua, but God had promised to be with them in conquering the land if they would just trust and obey. As long as everything was going well, they did not struggle to do what God asked of them.
II. Judges 1:19-36. It did not take long, however, for their faith to meet resistance. As soon as the going got tough, those who thought themselves tough could not or did not do what God asked of them. They began to make excuses instead and just accept that that was how things were.
III. Luke 14:16-24. Oh, how that sounds like God’s people today! God has given us the same promise today that He will be with us (Matthew 28:18-20). He has even said He will give us the same power (Romans 8:31-32) today that He gave His people all those centuries ago. God was not pleased that they did not trust and obey Him (Judges 2:1-5).
Will we trust and obey (1 John 2:3-6) or make excuses?