March 29, 2006 - Judges 7-8 and Luke 5:1-16
Reading Judges 7 and 8 should give every believer a great amount of hope in the Lord. It is the story of how God can use an imperfect leader and a small group of people to win a great victory over a huge enemy. The Bible tells us about a lot of imperfect people whom God used, because we are all imperfect. It tells us about how God can lead us to victory in so many ways, if we trust Him. However, this story is very special in the way it brings both elements together. I pray that God will speak to you in a marvelous way for your life today.
We need to learn that God gives victories where He receives the glory. We want victory through natural, normal means, but if He gives victory in those regular ways, He might not get the glory. People might think it was because of human power or wisdom. Therefore, God will tell us to do improbable things like reduce the size of the army, so He will be assured of getting the credit. The deciding factor is our faith. Can we trust Him to deliver us in His way? If we can, we will see great things on His terms. Gideon was willing to trust God this way. He was willing to give Him all the glory. God gave a great victory by confusing the enemy and causing the enemy to kill themselves. Let's not limit God. Let's trust His way. It is always best.
Then, we see how leaders are often criticized even when they are following God's will and a great victory is won. (8:1-3) Some people can find fault with anything. We have to go on and do the right thing even in the face of criticism. That is what Gideon did. In the end 135,000 enemy soldiers were killed, and Israel was freed from oppression for 40 years. If Gideon had let the criticism stop him in the middle of the fight, it would not have come to pass. However, the imperfect leader did make a wrong decision. He made that ephod out of the earrings and jewelry of the enemy, without asking God for direction. It became an idol, an object of worship. It was a snare to Gideon. In other words, people remember the wrong decisions of a leader for a long time, and Satan uses them to throw people off. Therefore, we must all be careful to seek God's direction each time.
Luke 5 speaks of faith, too. It speaks of God using ordinary men. Simon Peter was willing to trust Jesus' command to launch out into the deep and fish, even though it was against all human fishing wisdom. Jesus rewarded his faith with a great catch. The leper believed that Jesus could heal him, and Jesus rewarded his faith, too, by doing just that. I think we can see a pattern here, don't you? God is looking for imperfect people who will trust Him to win victories in God's ways. When they put their faith in Him, He rewarded that well placed faith. What about you today? Are you willing to trust Him? Watch for an opportunity and see what happens.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Judges 9-10 and Luke 5:17-39.
We need to learn that God gives victories where He receives the glory. We want victory through natural, normal means, but if He gives victory in those regular ways, He might not get the glory. People might think it was because of human power or wisdom. Therefore, God will tell us to do improbable things like reduce the size of the army, so He will be assured of getting the credit. The deciding factor is our faith. Can we trust Him to deliver us in His way? If we can, we will see great things on His terms. Gideon was willing to trust God this way. He was willing to give Him all the glory. God gave a great victory by confusing the enemy and causing the enemy to kill themselves. Let's not limit God. Let's trust His way. It is always best.
Then, we see how leaders are often criticized even when they are following God's will and a great victory is won. (8:1-3) Some people can find fault with anything. We have to go on and do the right thing even in the face of criticism. That is what Gideon did. In the end 135,000 enemy soldiers were killed, and Israel was freed from oppression for 40 years. If Gideon had let the criticism stop him in the middle of the fight, it would not have come to pass. However, the imperfect leader did make a wrong decision. He made that ephod out of the earrings and jewelry of the enemy, without asking God for direction. It became an idol, an object of worship. It was a snare to Gideon. In other words, people remember the wrong decisions of a leader for a long time, and Satan uses them to throw people off. Therefore, we must all be careful to seek God's direction each time.
Luke 5 speaks of faith, too. It speaks of God using ordinary men. Simon Peter was willing to trust Jesus' command to launch out into the deep and fish, even though it was against all human fishing wisdom. Jesus rewarded his faith with a great catch. The leper believed that Jesus could heal him, and Jesus rewarded his faith, too, by doing just that. I think we can see a pattern here, don't you? God is looking for imperfect people who will trust Him to win victories in God's ways. When they put their faith in Him, He rewarded that well placed faith. What about you today? Are you willing to trust Him? Watch for an opportunity and see what happens.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Judges 9-10 and Luke 5:17-39.