I know it might be a shock for some of you reading this, but pastors are not perfect. Growing up, I often would do what I wanted to do despite what my parents’ wishes were. They would tell me that a certain friend was not a good influence and that made me want to make them my best friend and spend as much time with them as possible. Of course, my parents were correct and things with my friend usually ended up with me getting in trouble. This happened more than I’d like to admit. That is how it often works, isn’t it? When we ignore wise counsel, we end up regretting it. In our passage this Sunday, we see the Israelites in a similar predicament. They ignore God, find themselves in a dark place, and finally “wake up” and call for the Lord to help. The interesting thing is how God decides to help. God does not always work in the ways we would, but His ways are always better. His ways of teaching us last longer. I can’t be hard on the Israelites. That’s been many stories in my own life. The good news is, God’s mercy is even in the darkness.

Guest blogger, Pastor Rob Tahtinen