Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. Judges 11:29a
What man has not made an unreasonable promise in the heat of the moment? Jephthah made one of these promises: if the Lord would give the Ammonites into his hands, he would sacrifice the first thing that came through the door of his house to greet him. These words, spoken in the heat of the moment, cost him dearly when his daughter hurried out to see him.
The toughest thing for me to grasp is that these words were spoken after the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. How could a man who is filled with the Spirit do something so stupid? How is it that the Spirit could guide Jephthah on the battlefield, but He wouldn't control his tongue? Why would the Spirit of God allow him to make such a rash vow? Why didn't he stop Jephthah and say, "Choose your words carefully."?
The greater struggle for me is why, as a Christian filled with the same Spirit that led Jephthah into battle, I act rashly as well.
I have been a Christian since the age of seven. I have known the wages of sin is death. My greatest sins have all been committed in full knowledge of the consequence. Why didn't the Spirit stop me?
The truth is: our free will doesn't cease to exist simply because the Spirit is present. We must choose our words and actions carefully, or like Jephthah, we will live in regret.
Father, I live with regret over my sins. If I had committed them before knowing You, they might be easier to forgive. Help me to forgive myself for rash action that caused me to sin. Help me to be mindful of You in the heat of the moment.