When obedience seems impossible

Work went well this morning. I have to fix a bunch of printable forms (XML documents). It is extremely tedious and not a whole lot of fun. It's close to being correct which means it is really hard to find the problems... and the problems don't exactly jump out at you until you have run several tests. Oh well... it needs to be done. :) School went well... although the server which contains pretty much all of my work and notes went down yesterday and isn't back up yet. I really hope they get it fixed. I read Judges 11 today. I had forgotten about this passage (verses 30-36)... it was quite shocking.

Jephthah made a vow to the LORD and said, "If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering." So Jephthah crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD gave them into his hand. He struck them with a very great slaughter from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim. So the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel. When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. Now she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, "Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot take it back." So she said to him, "My father, you have given your word to the LORD; do to me as you have said, since the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the sons of Ammon."

What an incredible example of faith and obedience. I think of Abraham being told to sacrifice Isaac... but in this case, Jephthah really did follow through with his word. His daughter's faith is what really stands out to me though. This shows that she has a huge view of who God is... and is obedient to the point of death even though it wasn't her fault. It's a great reminder to me that I have absolutely no excuses for not being completely obedient to Him.