Once, when I took an evening course for further training, I had a Christian classmate who was starved for affection and believed that she wasn’t lovable. To feel loved, she would give people lots of presents and provide small services…

As the story continues, we expect God to raise up a judge (e.g. Judg 3:9, 15), but this is not mentioned. Instead, the elders of Gilead (the area closest to the Ammonite threat), advertise the leadership job (10:17). We may…

While not all difficulties are an indication of sin, sometimes God brings circumstances into our lives to call us to our senses. Like the prodigal son in Jesus’ parable in Luke 15, our struggles may awaken us to our need…