The Midianites oppressed the Israelites and made life terrible for God’s people. They attacked them, destroyed their crops, stole their livestock, and laid waste to the land. And because of this, Israel was poverty-stricken (v. 6).

You might feel like an Israelite today, ambushed and decimated by your enemy. But we are wise to start with the first verse in this passage when it says that Israel did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, and because of that, God handed them over. 

When adversity comes, as followers of God, we should seek His face and ask, “Lord, is this chastisement? Are you using this difficult situation right now to pull me back to You?” Not all pain is God’s discipline, but God’s discipline is often painful. And if what we are experiencing is His loving discipline, we need to know that, so that we can identify and repent of the sin we have committed, rest in His grace and mercy, and enjoy renewed fellowship with our God.

For every sin in our lives, there is forgiveness and restoration and peace. But the first step is allowing our eyes to be opened, seeing the truth that only God can reveal.

Where in your past might God be pointing you back to unconfessed sin?