Groundhog Day - What would you do if you had to repeat the same day over and over again? In the movie "Groundhog Day" that is what happens to Bill Murray's character. He is sent to Pennsylvania to do a story on the annual Groundhog Day festivities. Phil finds himself repeating the same day over and over and over again. Things go from bad to worse until he decides to take advantage of the time instead of complaining about it wasting precious time. Phil spends the next few groundhog days doing good and treating people the way he should. Eventually Phil's heart changes and the day arrives when it is no longer Groundhog Day but a brand new day.

In the Book of Judges the Children of Israel have their own Groundhog Day. No, it is not the same day repeating over and over but it is the same cycle of life repeating itself over and over again. After the death of Joshua the Israelites had abandoned the worship of the One True God and started serving the false God of Balaam. When the people sinned God would allow their enemies to defeat them. In their torment the people would cry out to God for help. Each time this happened God would send a leader, who was called a judge to deliver them. This cycle of sin, torment, repentance, and deliverance was repeated over and over again.

The terrible thing about this is that this painful cycle of sin and pain occur in the lives of those who know not our God.

Until people learn the meaning of true life and break the cycle of defeat by walking in obedience to God they are doomed to go through that cycle over and over again. One will never fully experience the abundant life until they obey the Lord Jesus Christ. Bill Murray eventually learned this lesson. Will you?