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April 1st
The Bible reading today is in Judges chapters 6 and 7.
Yesterday I enjoyed the story of God, Deborah, and ‘Bear Ak defeating Jabin of Canaan and his cruel army commander, Sisera, who harassed, tortured, and killed many Israelites for twenty years.
Sisera got his...(reminding me of another story in scripture about a hammer and a nail that delivered ME from the cruel master of sin and death)...Israel saw God at work one more time...and I searched my own heart one more time.
God disciplined His chosen ones for twenty years. That seems like a very long time, but God knew what it would take to turn His rebellious children back to Him...and NOTHING was more important to God than that. Bringing...THEM...Back...to a close fellowship with God...back to true abundant living...back to the joy of a clear conscience...back to a peace way down in their hearts that would bring true contentment...and back to a faith set upon God for everything.
And after God broke and softened their hard hearts...they cried out to God for His deliverance...and just like the merciful God that He is, God worked a perfect work of deliverance for them. How? Deborah and Barak!
Deborah believed God...Barak struggled to believe God’s word. But Deborah inspired ‘Barak. He sensed God’s presence with Deborah. So he said...”I'll go down to meet Sisera and his 900 chariots of warriors...if you will go with me.”
Deborah agreed. She reproved Commander Barak. She stepped out...alone it seems... believing that God would do what He said He would do. And a great victory was given to them by God. Deborah wrote and sang a song about the victory...giving all the glory and the credit to God.
“Lord, we want to believe You like Deborah...and when we struggle, may we follow a Spirit-filled bro or sister to a deeper love and faith in You...like ‘Barak.”
Now to another one of my favorites...a great story...in today’s text...about God and another farmer...Gideon.
God had given covenant-breaking Israel over to the overpowering Midianites for seven years. The Midianites would sweep down to steal the crop harvests and steal the fruit right off of the Israeli vines. The Midianites were so cruel, that the Israelites had to leave their homes on the plains and in the valleys and make their homes in the caves of the surrounding mountains. Hard times to be sure.
But God was working His plan. He was going to use Gideon. My question is “Couldn't the Lord choose a less reluctant servant for this mission”. Like Moses, Gideon gave Jesus one excuse after another for why he couldn't or shouldn't be God’s man to deliver Israel from the Midianites.
“You say that God is with us...wow...why then has all of this happened to us?”
“God may have been with our fathers...bringing them out of Egypt, but where has He been for us? Why has He forsaken us?”
“Go now in the power that you have...and save Israel from the Midianites...I will be with you...and you will strike down Midian as though they were one man.”
Then like fresh oil being added to an almost empty lamp, the reluctant farmer with doubts and fears about much...believed God’s word lifted a torch and took up his sword for the battle to come.
He had 32,000 men against 128,000 Midian soldiers. God then whittled Gideon’s army down to 10,000 and eventually down to 300. 300 + God!
God gave Gideon a strategy...something about clay pots and torches and 300 trumpets. Guess who won? “For the Lord and Gideon” was the battle cry of the 300!
By the way, Gideon met Jesus in this story...what looked more like an angel at first, Gideon recognized the Lord. “Oh to see You at work in and around our lives Lord Jesus...just like Gideon...and that You would infuse us with faith and courage to do battle right alongside You.”
Have a great day
