As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping the images of Baal, making Baal-berith their god.
Judges 8:33

I’ve been skimming through Judges looking for my next Parent of the Bible, and I kept seeing the same thing over and over again. It was the same thing I saw when I was a kid. The Israelites were constantly falling away from you and turning to other gods. How could they do that? Now, as a man, I see how I tend to do this as well. As “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” says in it’s last verse: “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” I can relate to that. But what caught me in this verse was the use of the word “prostitute.” The New American Standard said, “…played the harlot.” The Message used the word “prostitute.” That’s an interesting word with a lot of loaded meanings: Prostitute.

For what do I sell myself? What do I get for my allegiance, time, attention and affection? Is it money? Is it sex? Acceptance? Adoration? When I fall away from you, what am I getting in exchange that draws me away? I guess it helps to think about the times when I drift from you. At this stage in my spiritual development I suppose it is the joy of being undisciplined. The lure of self-indulgence. Why would I stop and pray to you when I can have some fun? Why would I spend time reading scripture when I can stay up a little later watching some video on YouTube and then sleep late in the morning? “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.

Father, here’s my heart. Take and seal it. Seal it for they courts above.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen