In my devotions last night, I found myself in Judges 11 reading the story of Jephthah. While he is generally associated with what he did in the latter half of this same chapter, I noticed something in the first 9 verses that I wanted to share with you.

Apparently Jephthah was born during his father’s younger, more rebellious years. He was the son of a harlot, and consequentially rejected by his brothers who were born through wedlock. Though he was no doubt angry at the thought of being punished for his father’s sins, he reluctantly packed his bags and headed for the land of Tob. After all, he was outnumbered.

Fast forward a few years, and you’ll find a very distressed Israelite nation under attack by the Ammonites. When the question came up of who should lead them in battle, the elders of Gilead remembered Jephthah, who was known by many as a “mighty man of valor.” (verse 1) Somebody they once despised was suddenly their only hope of survival! So what did they do? They “went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob.” (verse 5) They pleaded with him to come and lead their armies, and this was his response (verse 7):

In other words, he wanted to know why they only wanted him around when it was in their best interest. Before, he was exiled; now they were begging him to come back and save their skins. After a few more words, Jephthah then raised the question, “If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?” (verse 9) He wanted to know what would happen after it was all over with! Would they exile him again? Would they write him out of their life, or let him continue to be their leader? His fear was that they would once again push him away after things returned to normal.

These were all very relevant questions, and I feel that God is asking many of us the same thing today. Many people spend their entire life wanting nothing to do with God. They exile Him from their homes, their hearts, their schools,  public places, and in some cases even their churches. That is, until something bad happens. A loved one dies and they need comfort; their parents separate and they need a Father; they lose their job and need money. Such scenarios often drive people to their knees – which is great! But God wants more than a temporary place in your life.

Just like Jephthah, He wants to know if He’ll still be your #1 after the storm subsides. Will you continue to serve God, or will you “put him on hold” until the next catastrophe strikes? Will you still drop to your knees and pray several times each day, or will you wait until you have no other option?

God wants more than weekend visitation. He wants full custody.