Seeking God's Guidance Amid National Disaster: Lessons from Judges 1:1-2
In times of national crisis —be it devastating hurricanes ravaging coastlines, economic turmoil shaking the foundations of society, or pandemics that bring a nation to its knees—we often feel lost, much like the Israelites after the death of their great leader Joshua . The book of Judges opens with a powerful scene: "After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, 'Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites ?' The Lord answered, ' Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands'" (Judges 1:1-2). This moment, rooted in Israel's conquest of the Promised Land , teaches us a timeless truth: when disaster strikes, our first response must be to inquire of the Lord. Imagine our nation facing a catastrophic event, such as the recent floods that have displaced thousands or a financial collapse echoing the warnings in Scripture about trusting in riches rather than God ( 1 Timothy 6:17 ). In such chaos, human efforts—governme...