Real Life by Peggi Tustan

Fighters from ISIS march in Raqqa, Syria (Associate Press file photo) Welcome to Real Life . Who am I following? Who am I leading? Iraq and Syria, lacking stable leadership, have been overrun by ISIS. Lawlessness reigns. It took a horrific act—the beheading of two journalists and an aid worker—for the world to take action to stop the Islamic State. “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” Judges 17:6 and 21:25 Also in the Middle East, some 3000 years ago, during the time of the judges, the nation of Israel was degenerating into a state of lawlessness. Israel had no king. For, God himself was to be their king. [1] However, theocracy can’t work if God’s people walk away from him and his laws and create their own rules. As with ISIS, it took a horrific act to rally the nation of Israel to action. Judges 18 The tribe of Dan abandons their appointed inheritance. They attack the peaceful, unsuspecting people of Laish, burn the city, and settle there. ...

Welcome to Real Life . Samson—he’s a larger-than-life Bible character endowed with super-human strength. But, even Superman had his kryptonite. As Samson comes of age, he falls for a Philistine woman. Here the trouble begins. At their wedding feast, he makes a bet tied to a riddle to gain a new wardrobe. Samson unfairly loses the bet. To pay his debt, he strikes down thirty Philistines. The offenses escalate until his bride is dead and—endowed with super-human strength—Samson takes out 1000 Philistines with a donkey's jawbone. The good news:  Israel is free from 40 years of Philistine oppression! Samson rules as judge for twenty years. Unfortunately, the story doesn't end here. Samson has a weakness for Philistine women. He's smitten with Delilah. Under duress from the rulers of the Philistines, she relentlessly prods Samson to reveal the secret of his strength. Finally, he can take no more. He spills the beans. No razor has ever been used on my head. I am a Nazarit...

Welcome to Real Life.  Our parentage affects us, for good and for ill. His mother was a prostitute. Because of this, Jephthah’s brothers drove him out of his father’s home in Gilead. He settled in Tob. There, he grew into a mighty warrior with a following of angry young men. When the Ammonites attacked, the men of Gilead needed a mighty warrior. They called on Jephthah. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he went out to meet the Ammonites in battle. But first, he made a bold and foolish vow: If you give me victory over the Ammonites, I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering. [1] Israel won. But, it was not due to Jephthah’s vow. God is sovereign. His will is not dependent on man’s promises. No, God had already raised up Jephthah to deliver Israel. When Jephthah returned, his virgin daughter—his only child—came dancing out to meet him. At this point, he could have humbly admitte...

Welcome to Real Life . Have you ever been called to do something way over your head? “But, Lord, how can I save Israel?” Gideon asked. Again, the Israelites did evil, removing themselves from God and his protection. This time [1] , the savage Midianites invaded. God’s people were so afraid that they hid in mountain clefts, caves, and strongholds. Finally, after seven years of misery, they cried out to the Lord. He sent help from an unlikely source. Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress (to hide it from the Midianites) when the angel of the Lord appeared and said, “The Lord is with you, Mighty Warrior.” “Really? If God’s with us, why has he abandoned us into the hand of Midian?” “I’m sending you, Gideon, to save Israel.” “But, Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my family.” “I will be with you,” the Lord answered. We’ll do it together . The Midianites and all their allies joined forces to attack Israel. They lay as th...

Welcome to Real Life . If you go, I’ll go. Have you ever been afraid to walk into an unfamiliar situation alone?      _____ Under Joshua, Israel had conquered and occupied much of the Promised Land of Canaan … but, not all of it. Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites remained. After Joshua’s death, the Israelites intermarried with these foreigners. And, soon, the people of God were bowing to pagan idols. Because they had removed themselves from God and his protection, the Israelites were conquered and oppressed by one enemy after another. In their misery, they cried out to the Lord. He raised up judges [1]  to lead his people back to physical and spiritual freedom.      _____ “I’ll only go, Deborah, if you go,” said Barack, the commander of Israel's army. Israel was firmly held under the grip of Jabin, a Canannite king. Israel's judge, Deborah, had called for Barak and given him this order from God:  Take 10,...

Welcome to Real Life . Every hour of every day, I make choices. "May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears." ~Nelson Mandela Many of my choices have turned into habits, things I do without thinking: make my bed, brush my teeth, make coffee. Some are no-brainers: I need clean clothes, so I do laundry. The fridge is empty, so I buy groceries. Some are preferences: I feel like wearing pink. And then, there are the days when I make life-altering decisions: On March 5, 1983, I married my husband. On this day in Israel’s history, Joshua calls the Children of Israel to make a life-altering decision. He’s old—110 years—and ready to die. He completed his mission. Israel has taken possession of the Promised Land. As Joshua prepares to leave this world, he calls the nation's leaders to assemble before God at Shechem. First, he reminds them of their history: Long ago, our forefathers worshiped false gods in Ur beyond the Euphrates. From there, God called Abraham ...

Welcome to Real Life . Whose side are you on? Joshua is ready to launch the campaign for the Promised Land. First stop: Jericho, a walled city, difficult to penetrate. The Israelites had no experience attacking a fortified city. It didn't matter. The victory was theirs. The Lord promised. They just had to show up. As Joshua neared Jericho … He looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?”  “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”  The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so. (Joshua 5:13-15) This is no mere man. When Joshua encounters the commander of the Lord’s army, [1] he hits the dirt, face down, in reverence....