Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 20:22-25.

But the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day. And the people of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until the evening. And they inquired of the Lord, "Shall we again draw near to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?" And the Lord said, "Go up against them."

So the people of Israel came near against the people of Benjamin the second day. And Benjamin went against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed 18,000 men of the people of Israel. All these were men who drew the sword. — Judges 20:22-25

Israel tries again. They pray and weep. This time it looks more spiritual. But still, there's no real repentance. They ask, "Should we go again?"—not, "Lord, what have we done wrong?"

They confuse emotion with surrender. Their tears are real, but their pride is intact. God isn't after their sadness—He's after their submission. The phrase "sorrow isn't surrender" sums up Israel's problem and often ours too—emotion without repentance never changes the outcome.

And so they lose again. Another 18,000 die. Why? Because feeling bad isn't the same as turning back. God allows defeat until their hearts are truly humbled.

This is how pride disguises itself in our lives. We tell God we're sorry for the consequences but hold on to control. We cry over the damage but won't lay down our will. We promise change but never surrender our way.

It's like a marriage that keeps circling the same fights. One spouse says, "I'm sorry you feel that way," but never owns the hurt they caused. The words sound humble, but pride is still running the show. Until someone truly surrenders, healing never starts.

Israel's story is our story. We mourn the results of sin—broken homes, fractured churches, divided nations—but we're not broken before God. And until we are, He will let us feel the weight of our own choices.

The truth is, sorrow isn't always true surrender. Don't wait for another round of collateral damage to learn surrender. Lay down your pride now. Stop fighting your way and start trusting his. God will not give victory to the proud—but he will lift up the humble.

ASK THIS:

1. Am I more grieved by the consequences of sin or the cause of it?
2. Where have I mistaken regret for repentance?
3. How has pride kept me from true surrender in my relationships?
4. What battle am I still fighting that God is waiting for me to release?

DO THIS:

• Admit where pride still controls your responses—especially in your closest relationships.
• Write down one area you've been "sorry about" but haven't surrendered—and pray over it daily this week.

PRAY THIS:

Father, I'm tired of circling the same battles. Break the pride that blinds me and teach me to truly surrender. Help me move from tears of regret to the obedience of repentance. I don't want to just feel sorry—I want to be changed. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"I Surrender."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 20:18-21.

The people of Israel arose and went up to Bethel and inquired of God, "Who shall go up first for us to fight against the people of Benjamin?" And the Lord said, "Judah shall go up first."

Then the people of Israel rose in the morning and encamped against Gibeah. And the men of Israel went out to fight against Benjamin, and the men of Israel drew up the battle line against them at Gibeah. The people of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and destroyed on that day 22,000 men of the Israelites. — Judges 20:18-21

Israel goes to Bethel. Finally—they pray! But look closely. They don't ask if they should go to war, only who should go first. Their minds are made up. They're not seeking God's direction; they only want God's endorsement.

It's a subtle but dangerous difference. They don't want divine wisdom—they want divine approval. They're still fighting the wrong battle in the wrong way.

And God allows them to go. He tells them, "Judah shall go up first." It sounds like victory—but it isn't. Israel loses 22,000 men that day. Their zeal was high, their numbers were strong, and their cause was just—but their hearts were wrong. They inquired of God, but they never repented to Him.

Believers are guilty of doing this all the time. We ask God to bless our careers, our goals, our posts, our politics—without ever asking if they align with God's will. We quote Scripture but don't surrender to it. We wear God's name but pursue our own plans.

Israel's defeat wasn't because God failed—it's because His people fought without surrender. And that's a battle you'll always lose.

Maybe your defeats aren't setbacks; maybe they're invitations. God lets us lose when he wants to lead us back to him. He loves us way too much to let us keep winning our way.

Before you go to battle, ask: Am I fighting God's enemy—or just my own?

ASK THIS:

1. Have I mistaken God's permission for His blessing?
2. When was the last time I surrendered my agenda before seeking God's help?
3. Where am I fighting a battle that God never called me to fight?
4. What would it look like to let humility lead instead of pride?

DO THIS:

• Before you act, pray: "Lord, am I fighting Your battle or mine?"
• Identify one area where you've asked for God's approval but not His direction. Surrender it today.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, forgive me for fighting battles You never called me to fight. Teach me to seek Your direction before demanding Your blessing. Lead me to surrender so that every victory brings You glory—not me. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Lead Me to the Cross."

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Read more about Project23 and partner with us as we teach every verse of the Bible on video.

Our text today is Judges 20:8-17.

And all the people arose as one man, saying, "None of us will go to his tent, and none of us will return to his house. But now this is what we will do to Gibeah: we will go up against it by lot, and we will take ten men of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred of a thousand, and a thousand of ten thousand, to bring provisions for the people, that when they come they may repay Gibeah of Benjamin for all the outrage that they have committed in Israel." So all the men of Israel gathered against the city, united as one man.

And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What evil is this that has taken place among you? Now therefore give up the men, the worthless fellows in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and purge evil from Israel." But the Benjaminites would not listen to the voice of their brothers, the people of Israel. Then the people of Benjamin came together out of the cities to Gibeah to go out to battle against the people of Israel. And the people of Benjamin mustered out of their cities on that day 26,000 men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who mustered 700 chosen men. Among all these were 700 chosen men who were left-handed; every one could sling a stone at a hair and not miss. And the men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, mustered 400,000 men who drew the sword; all these were men of war. — Judges 20:8-17

Israel's outrage turns into organization. They swear an oath not to go home until justice is served. It sounds noble—but it's dangerous. What started as righteous anger now becomes collective vengeance. They are so convinced of their own version of justice that they can't see the injustice they are about to commit. The people unite around punishment, not repentance, blind to the fact that their zeal will make them guilty of the same sin they condemn.

There is no Judge in this moment—no voice of God's appointed leadership. The nation acts without discernment, following a rogue man who looks like a spiritual leader but does not live like one. The Levite's story fuels their passion, but not their prayer. They rally around his words, not God's Word.

The unity here is impressive but deceptive. They're "as one man," but not under God. They're driven by zeal and confuse justice with revenge.

And Benjamin, the brother tribe, refuses to hand over the guilty men of Gibeah. Pride meets pride. The result? Civil war. Israel will soon destroy its own family in the name of righteousness.

This is what happens when justice acts apart from God's Word and direction. We seek to destroy the guilty instead of restoring them. The line between moral conviction and moral arrogance gets blurry.

We see this same division today. Churches split over politics, believers cancel one another online, and movements built on truth end up powered by hate. Somewhere along the way, we stopped asking, "How do we honor God?" and started devising, "How do we win?"

Justice without God's truth and direction always ends in destruction. Because without grace, even the right cause becomes the wrong crusade.

Jesus showed us the better way: He didn't excuse sin, but he didn't execute sinners either. He bore their punishment to redeem them. That's what real justice looks like. It's always the truth, but it's wrapped in love.

ASK THIS:

1. Is my passion for justice rooted in love or in pride?
2. When I see sin, do I seek restoration or revenge?
3. How do I respond when brothers and sisters in Christ disappoint me?
4. Am I building unity under God or alliances around outrage?

DO THIS:

• Before confronting someone's sin, pray for their restoration—not their ruin.
• Look for one relationship in your life that needs grace more than judgment.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, keep me from turning Your justice into my vengeance. Give me a heart that loves mercy, seeks unity, and fights for truth without losing grace. Teach me to stand firm and kneel low at the same time. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"What Mercy Did for Me."