Re:Verse passage – Judges 7:23-24, 8:1-9 (day five)
“He went up from there to Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. So he spoke also to the men of Penuel”.
“There, but by the grace of God, go I”. One of the things I love about scripture is the honest depiction of people. We see the good and bad, strengths and weaknesses, victories and failures.
Some people take longer to trust and follow the Lord. The people of Succoth and Peniel are not willing to help Gideon. Having been persecuted for seven years by the Midianites was a very real and overwhelming experience. These groups of people were not ready to trust Gideon and his (only) 300 men to wipe out that massive army. I believe that often times, delayed obedience is disobedience. I/we ought to pray consistently for the Lord’s grace to help us obey according to His timing. Wait when it’s time to wait. Move forward in obedience when it’s time to act.
Gideon seems to have forgotten a lesson previously learned. The victory is God’s and it’s for His Glory . Perhaps his own ego led to his angered “reaction”. I/we ought to pray the the Lord by His grace would continually remind us of the spiritual truths and insights we’ve learned from Him through His Word and through our previous experiences.
Oh how we need His Grace, His Help, His Guidance… day by day… moment by moment!! There, but by the grace of God…
Needed this today! Thank you!