Posted on November 8, 2022 by Elizabeth Welte in Freedom Fighters
Evil is ‘to start from the point of a lie’, and the greatest of lies is that we can ‘operate against God’s perfect design.’ Over and over again the Bible says, ‘and they did evil in the sight of the Lord, and because they did not obey His perfect commends, God gave them over to the desires of their heart.’ For Israel this meant being dominated by some foreign power. When they would hit their lowest point, Israel would cry out to God, and in His mercy and grace, He would send them a deliverer. Gideon was one of those men and an unlikely hero. Like everyone else who was suffering the consequences of believing they didn’t need God, Gideon had a hard time trusting His Word… even when He stood right in front of him saying, ‘The Lord is with you.’ How often do we respond the same way… having read God’s Word, we live as if His Word’s have no power?
Well God doesn’t let Gideon off that easily,
“Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!”
“But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!”
The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.””
(Judges 6:14-16)
When God speaks, His Words are the truth, because He is Absolute Perfection. When we believe His Words and operate in accordance to them, we can be assured that what He said will happen. I wish I could say Gideon headed off in faith, but like with the rest of us, God patiently built up his faith, test after test, until Gideon was able to stand before the men God had provided him and confidently say, ‘Do as I do’ as we stand and face the enemy.
Gideon’s strength was not his own, but was founded in the Word of God… who had sent Him. When we obey God’s Word and go where He directs, we can be assured that the consequences of our obedience will be His victory over our enemies.
I pray as you go forward today you are sensitive to His Word and His leading, so you will know His victory today.
Choose wisely….
“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” (Joshua 1:8)
Praying you choose Jesus today!
Written by David Brown: David Brown is a husband, father, grandfather, Pastor with a Masters of Religious Studies and a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Religions. Dave is the Associate Pastor of Pemberton’s First Baptist Church. He is the author of two devotional books, “From a Chair by the Window.” And “#PrayerWinsThe Day”.
Think About This: “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.” – John Piper
The Daily Bible Reading: Jeremiah 49-50; Hebrews 5 You can download our 2022 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
This Week’s Verse to Memorize: “…in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:21-22
Consider a retreat at America’s Keswick retreat center.
