Here comes the Judge!

Chapter 8 / When Your Mistakes Land You Before a Judge

It was my tenth grade year at Strasburg High in Strasburg, Colorado.  My student life was shaping up and I was enjoying my life.  The dream of owning my first car had already come true in the form of a 1979 GMC pickup truck.  My dream turned into a nightmare because I had spent a lot of time and money fixing up my continually broken truck.

One day that rotten GMC needed another part that I had to travel into Denver for; a 45 minute trip.  Things did not get off to a good start that day and I was angry most of the day.  I borrowed my father’s car and made the trip into the big city.

For the most part the trip was eventless apart from my constant complaining on how bad my life was.  Sitting at the light I could see the auto parts store on the corner, as the light changed I hit the gas and the car stalled mid-intersection.  In an effort to get through I kept cranking on the starter and eventually the engine roared to life.  I slammed the gearbox down and took off, only by then the lights had changed and what was a green arrow for me was a green light for oncoming traffic.

As I cleared the final lane I noticed a driver not slowing down and before I could say “huh?” he t-boned into the side of my dad’s car at about 45 miles per hour.  The impact was so great that it completely crushed the side of the car, totaling it!  Funny it would still drive.  As the police sorted out the details, I was handed a ticket.

“What?  I was not at fault” I exclaimed!!!  The office just said “take it up with the judge”.

Judges elicit a sense of fear, don’t they?  They never call you in for something you have done right.  We think of them as someone who harshly tells us what we did wrong.  And they seem to be everywhere these days on television.  There’s Judge Judy and Hatchett.  Mathis and Christina.  And my favorite—Judge Wapner (Dating myself). 

Then there are some judges you may not know.  They even have a book in the Bible with their name on it.  Judges.  These judges appeared on the scene to help sort out right and wrong.  They also helped people get out of trouble.

God’s people kept putting themselves into a never ending cycle of disobedience, discipline, declaration of wrong, and deliverance.  Judges like Deborah and Gideon and Samson helped them find their way back to God. 

What did the people do that was so bad they needed judges?  Two things.  First, they failed to put God first in their lives (Judges 1:28).  And secondly, they did not teach their children to know God (Judges 2:10).  These two “sins” led to their downfall and ruin.

Are you making the same mistakes they made?  If so, you have a judge that can help you––Jesus.

The good news is that when he “calls” you into his office after you’ve messed up, you will look up to see your judge’s face and see your savior there.