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

Read more about our mission to teach every verse of the Bible through Project23.

Our text today is Judges 11:34-36.

Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter. And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, "Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow." And she said to him, "My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord; do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites." — Judges 11:34-36

After the triumph, tragedy walked through the door. Jephthah returned from battle only to be greeted by his only child, the first to come out of his house. His rash vow now collided with a harsher reality.

Notice the irony: victory brought national peace but personal grief. His daughter's faithfulness is striking. She urges her father to keep his word, even at her cost. But Jephthah's words expose the danger of zeal without wisdom. His vow was never required by God. It was self-imposed, driven by misplaced bargaining instead of trust.

Words matter. A reckless promise can entangle us in sorrow, regret, and even sin. Jephthah's vow was foolishness, not faith. Yet how often do we do the same? We make bargains with God: "If You get me through this, I'll do that." But God doesn't care about our rash vows. He knows we don't keep them because we don't keep his. What he wants is our faithful trust.

At the same time, Jephthah's daughter models a faith we can learn from. Her submission to God's will, even through her father's failure, reveals an important truth: our decisions ripple outward, affecting the people closest to us.

Here's the warning and the invitation: don't let reckless zeal replace faithful obedience. God delights in your trust, not your hasty promises.

ASK THIS:

1. Where have I made rash commitments instead of wise obedience?
2. Am I bargaining with God instead of simply trusting Him?
3. How do my choices affect the people closest to me?

DO THIS:

Pause today before making promises—to God, to others, to yourself. Choose faithfulness over impulse. If you've already made a rash commitment, confess it, ask God for wisdom, and realign your words with His will.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, teach me to guard my words. Protect me from hasty promises and help me walk in steady obedience. May my commitments honor You and bless those around me. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Take My Life."

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

Today's shout-out goes to Chris Gilbert from Elizabethtown, PA.
Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23.

Our text today is Judges 11:32-33.

So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the Lord gave them into his hand. And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel. — Judges 11:32-33

After all the rejection, diplomacy, and buildup, the battle finally came. But notice how quickly the narrator reports it: "the Lord gave them into his hand." The emphasis isn't on Jephthah's skill, Israel's strategy, or even the scale of the victory—it's on the Lord.

The sweeping victory across twenty cities shows this wasn't chance or human brilliance. It was God's decisive act of deliverance. Israel's repentance prepared the way, but God's power won the day.

We often act as if everything depends on us—our effort, our strategy, our fight. But Scripture reminds us again and again: the battle belongs to the Lord.

That doesn't mean you sit passively. Jephthah still crossed over and engaged the enemy. But the outcome was decided by God. Faith means stepping into the fight, but confidence comes from knowing it's God's strength, not ours, that secures victory.

Your own battles—whether against sin, fear, addiction, or opposition—are too big for you alone. But they are not too big for the Lord. The same God who subdued twenty cities by his power can subdue the enemies pressing against your soul.

So why not ask him to fight, and you be faithful? Name a battle before you today. Then declare out loud: "This battle belongs to the Lord." Ask God for the strength to step in faith and let him win the victory.

ASK THIS:

1. Where am I tempted to think victory depends on me alone?
2. Am I fighting in my strength or resting in God's?
3. What would change if I really believed the battle belongs to the Lord?

DO THIS:

Name one battle you're fighting right now. Out loud, declare: "This battle belongs to the Lord." Then ask Him for strength to step in faith and let Him win the victory.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, thank You that my battles are Yours. Help me fight with courage but rest in Your strength. Teach me to trust that victory belongs to You alone. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"The Battle Belongs To The Lord."

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

Today's shout-out goes to Jeff Grasty from Rock Hill, SC.
Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23.

Our text today is Judges 11:29-31.

Then the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, "If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering." — Judges 11:29-31

Here is that terminology again: "the Spirit of the Lord clothed Jephthah." Meaning God himself equipped him with power for the battle. Victory was already guaranteed because God was already present.

But Jephthah didn't rest in that assurance. He made a vow—an unnecessary bargain with God. This was the irony: the Spirit of God was enough, yet Jephthah bartered like it wasn't. Jephthah complicated his doubt with a detrimental bargain.

We are all guilty of this. God gives us the Holy Spirit, the very presence and power that raised Jesus from the dead. Yet instead of moving forward in faith, we add conditions. We say, "God, if you show up, I'll be faithful. If you bless me, then I'll obey. If you fix this, then I'll finally trust You." When he already lives within us.

But bargaining with God is not faith—it's fear dressed up as faith. It reveals our insecurity more than our devotion. The Spirit of God already provides everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

Remember, when you add conditions, you don't secure more of God's favor—you forfeit the peace of trusting Him. The Spirit is enough. Always has been. Always will be. So identify where you've been making deals with God, and instead act in simple, Spirit-led obedience.

ASK THIS:

1. Where am I complicating God's promises with my own conditions?
2. How am I bargaining with God instead of simply believing Him?
3. What step of faith could I take today to show I trust His Spirit is enough?

DO THIS:

Stop adding fine print to God's promises. Identify one area where you've been making deals with God, and instead act in simple, Spirit-led obedience.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, forgive me for complicating what You've already completed. Help me to rest in Your Spirit, trust Your promises, and move forward in bold faith without bargaining. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Same Power."

In this episode of Faith + State, Vince Miller and his son-in-law, Minnesota State Rep. Elliott Engen, talk about what it means to stand for truth in an age of moral confusion. From discipleship to politics, they challenge believers to stop spectating and start engaging—because when good men do nothing, evil wins by default.

We live in a world that's lost its moral compass—where "my truth" replaces the truth. In this conversation, Pastor Vince Miller and Politician Elliott Engen discuss how moral relativism is shaping our schools, laws, and even our churches. They call Christians to engage—not just complain—by discipling, serving, and standing for what's right.

Whether you're a pastor, parent, or policymaker, this episode will equip you to fight for truth with both conviction and compassion.

Subscribe for more Faith + State episodes: https://beresolute.org/
Comment below: Where do you see truth being redefined in our culture today?
Support Project23: https://beresolute.org/give

00:00 – Welcome to the Vince Miller Show
00:32 – The Pastor and the Politician
01:10 – How Moral Relativism Invades Everything
03:00 – Gen Z's Activism and the Church's Silence
06:10 – Discipleship Everywhere, All the Time
09:00 – Truth as a Religion: The Rise of Subjectivism
12:10 – Lukewarm Churches and Lost Generations
15:30 – Political Apathy and Spiritual Confusion
18:30 – When Older Generations Disengage
20:15 – The Sin of Doing Nothing
21:00 – Jesus: The Man Who Did and Said Something
22:30 – How You Can Join the Fight
23:30 – Final Challenge: Live All In for Him Who Was All In for You

1. Where do you see moral relativism most clearly affecting culture today?

2. Why do many Christians hesitate to "enter the fight" for truth?

3. How does moral confusion in education and politics affect the next generation?

4. What does true discipleship look like in everyday life—not just on Sundays?

5. Why do you think many churches avoid preaching hard truth?

6. How can older generations re-engage in mentoring younger believers?

7. What's the danger of being a "lukewarm" Christian in today's world?

8. What does it mean to "fight" spiritually without being combative?

9. How can believers support godly leaders—both pastors and politicians?

10. What's one action step you can take this week to live "all in for Him who was all in for you"?

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

Today's shout-out goes to Joe Ebner from Palos Heights, IL.
Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23.

Our text today is Judges 11:4-11.

After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel. And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of Tob. And they said to Jephthah, "Come and be our leader, that we may fight against the Ammonites." But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?" And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "That is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the Ammonites and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead." Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, "If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites, and the LORD gives them over to me, I will be your head." And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "The LORD will be witness between us, if we do not do as you say." So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD at Mizpah. — Judges 11:4-11

Jephthah wasn't rejected because of his sin—his father's sexual immorality led to his illegitimate birth, and the people unjustly cast him out. They hated him for what wasn't his fault. Now, years later, with the Ammonites threatening, they realized the man they had despised was the leader they needed.

At Mizpah, a sacred place of covenant renewal, they made him their head and leader. The very place where God's people often sought God's direction became the stage for God exposing their error and redirecting their future. The one they rejected becomes their redemption. Hmm, I wonder where we have heard that before? Maybe in the New Testament?

Someone else's injustice against you, that you unjustly suffer, never nullifies God's calling. God often uses human rejection to display his sovereignty. Jephthah's brothers and community had written him off, but God had not. And when their crisis revealed their stupidity, God used the man they discarded to deliver them. From discarded to deliverer. How about that!

Do you judge others unjustly? Or do you disqualify yourself because of something someone did to you in the past?

Remember, God has a longer and deeper view of every situation. He redeems shattered stories. He eventually exposes wrong judgments. And when he raises his leaders, it's not based on human approval but divine appointment.

Maybe you've been rejected, sidelined, or mistreated. Don't let that seed of bitterness take root. Like Jephthah, your story may become the very evidence that God alone lifts leaders and redeems injustice. And when he does, may we—like Jephthah—ground our leadership not in bitterness but in the Lord. Note Jephthah's words: "If the LORD gives them over to me, I will be your head."

ASK THIS:

1. Have I judged someone harshly for what wasn't their fault?
2. Do I believe God can redeem injustice and turn rejection into calling?
3. Am I willing to ground leadership and influence in God's appointment rather than people's approval?

DO THIS:

Think of someone you've wrongly judged—or a place you've felt unjustly judged yourself. Confess it to God. Ask Him to replace bitterness with trust, and injustice with faith in His timing.

PRAY THIS:

Father, thank You for redeeming the places of injustice in my life. Forgive me for judging others wrongly and help me see them as You do. Teach me to trust that rejection never has the final word—Your calling does. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"God of My Restoration."

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

Today's shout-out goes to Troy Longen from Badger, MN.
Thank you for your partnership with us through Project23.

Our text today is Judges 11:1-3.

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. And Gilead's wife also bore him sons. And when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, "You shall not have an inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman." Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob, and worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him. — Judges 11:1-3

Jephthah enters our story under a dark cloud of shame—born of a prostitute (by the adulterous afair of Gilead), he is rejected by his half-brothers, and pushed out of his father's household. He ends up in Tob, surrounded by a gang of deadbeat outsiders with nowhere else to belong.

From a natural perspective, Jephthah looked disqualified for any kind of leadership. But God often works through the unlikely, shaping leaders out of rejects. The very rejection that pushed Jephthah away was the tool God would use to prepare him for Israel's deliverance.

Rejection stings. Family chaos always cuts deep. Being told you don't belong by your family of origin because of your father's sin can and usually does scar you for life. But rejection on a human plane doesn't disqualify you in God's economy—it often prepares you. Just think about your testimony. God makes leaders out of leftovers because God is the one writing the story.

Think about it: Moses was a murderer in exile before he led Israel. David was the forgotten youngest son before he became king. Jephthah was driven away as illegitimate, but God would raise him up as a deliverer. The same is true for us—God redeems rejection by reassigning it for a divine purpose.

Your rejection may be the exact place where God wants to demonstrate his power in your life. The rejection that made you feel small might become the stage for God's greatness. The voices that have said "you don't belong" can be drowned out by the voice of the Father who says, "you are mine called to a special mission."

Don't resent rejection; bring it to God today. Name that wound, confess the pain, and ask him to redeem it for his glory. Believe that God wastes nothing—not even the broken pieces of your past. And then get ready... watch as God makes a leader out of the leftovers.

ASK THIS:

1. Where have I experienced rejection that still stings today?
2. Do I believe that God can redeem even my deepest wounds for His purpose?
3. How might the people I consider "worthless fellows" actually be the place where God is shaping me?

DO THIS:

Instead of resenting rejection, bring it to God today. Name the wound, confess the pain, and ask Him to redeem it for His glory. Believe that He wastes nothing—not even the broken pieces of your past.

PRAY THIS:

Father, thank You that rejection does not define me—Your calling does. Heal the wounds that make me feel small, redeem the places of pain, and prepare me to walk in Your purpose with confidence and faith. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"One More Day."

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

Check out our mission to teach every verse of the Bible on video in what we call Project23.

Our text today is Judges 10:17-18.

Then the Ammonites were called to arms, and they encamped in Gilead. And the people of Israel came together, and they encamped at Mizpah. And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said one to another, "Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead." — Judges 10:17-18

The Ammonites gathered in Gilead—a vulnerable region east of the Jordan, a natural invasion path into Israel. Israel responded by gathering at Mizpah, a high place often used for covenant renewal and prayer. Both locations carried significance: one was the physical threat, the other was the spiritual rally point.

But the geography only highlights the spiritual moment. Israel had no clear leader, no battle plan. What they had was repentance. They finally put away idols and cried out to God. That was the right preparation. Before God raised up a deliverer, he reshaped their hearts.

This is the order God still works in today. Repentance first, deliverance second. The people didn't repent because they already had a strategy—they repented because they had no strategy. Their idols were powerless, their enemies were pressing in, and they finally turned back to God. And God's compassion was stirred by the misery of his repentant people in this moment. His justice was engaged by the oppression, and now he was ready to move.

Think about that for your life. We want God to fix our circumstances, but God starts by fixing our hearts. Repentance clears the ground for his deliverance. It tears down idols, humbles our pride, and puts us in a posture to receive what only he can provide.

Maybe "Ammonites" are pressing in right now—anxiety, addiction, pressure, or relational conflict. You might even feel camped at "Mizpah:" gathered, waiting, desperate for God to act. Don't miss the lesson. Surrender at Mizpah. Repentance bridges the gap between misery and mercy, between oppression and deliverance. Trust in God. Repent and surrender. Find relief and salvation.

ASK THIS:

1. What "Ammonites" are pressing against my life right now?
2. Am I focused more on strategy or surrender?
3. Have I truly cleared away the idols so God can act?
4. Do I trust that repentance is the preparation God honors before deliverance?

DO THIS:

Don't just analyze your battle plan today. Start with repentance. Name your idols, confess your misplaced trust, and surrender at your own "Mizpah"—a place of waiting where God's compassion and deliverance can meet you.

PRAY THIS:

Father, help me see that repentance is the first battle move. Align my heart with Your justice, stir Your compassion over my misery, and prepare me for the deliverance only You can bring. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Song of Repentance."