Author: Scott Lane

Re:Verse passage – Judges 2–8; 1 Samuel 3:1-11 (day five)

“Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord before Eli. Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor had the word of the Lord yet been revealed to him.”

God is about to reveal Himself to the next generation. Whether Samuel is a child or teen, we don’t really know.  What we do know is that Samuel was in the right place at the right time.

Parents, it is worth the effort to have your children in places where they are near the Lord’s presence. At home- prayer times, family devotionals, modeled service and ministry to others. At church- worship, Bible Study, VBS, Camp.

Grandparents/seniors, it’s no small task to champion and encourage kids, teens, and their parents in the same kinds of ways.  Take time to pray daily and be intentional to have spiritual conversations.

The Kingdom potential and possibilities in these young hearts and lives is as limitless as the Lord Himself.

Will you pray, will you encourage, will you speak truth into their hearts? Will you create opportunities (times and places) for the next generation to “know the Lord”?

Re:Verse passage – Judges 8:18-34 (day five) “Thus the sons of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side;”  One of the issues I encountered most from as a Youth Minister was teenagers saying, “I am doubting my salvation and if God is even real, Can you help?”

My first question to them was always, “When was the last time you were reading God’s Word and praying daily?”  The answer almost always was something like “Well, it’s been a while”.

A daily time with God in His Word and in prayer, helps us remember (in moments of thanksgiving, praise, and petition) God’s strength, love, and faithfulness, to name a few. Paul says to pay close attention and  constantly listen to the Lord. Here’s how he illustrates it.  “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

‭‭Galatians 5.  Moment by moment. The Holy Spirit will call out the cadence, set the gate of each step.  He has the path and pace chosen, will we walk with Him?  Daily in His Word, Weekly with His body, moment by moment in prayer.  When we do, we remember, we stay in step, our doubts or struggles find peace and power.

How’s your daily time with God in His Word  and in prayer?

Here’s extra reading/worship (if you have time). A prayer of confession and dedication. A reminder of how easy it is to “forget” and a reminder of who God is.

Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise 

Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, Mount of God’s unchanging love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I’m come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

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…

Re:Verse passage – Judges 7:12-22 (day five)  His friend replied, “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand.”

It was an “aha moment”. All the pieces had been put in place. Gideon had just heard a Midianite solder say the same thing God had told him way back in chapter 6.  But the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.”  God had kept His promise.
Then comes a flood of emotions- amazement, joy, hope, certainty, courage.  Yet, in the middle of receiving divine assurance and now beginning the task of formulating a strategy for battle, Gideon worships. Maybe that was the best gift God have him that night. A time of worship. An honest response, thanking God for who He is and what He’s done (kept His promise to Gideon).

Are there promises from God (that you are grateful for) He has kept?  As the Lord brings them to mind this morning, will you pause and praise Him, thank Him, and worship Him?  Might be the best gift He gives you today.

Re:Verse passage – Judges 7:1-11 (day five)

“The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me.’”

Israel seems to be in a place (spiritually) where they have humbly surrendered to the Lord and His strength and power. After all, 32,000 of them were willing (albeit most with fear and trembling) to gather in the army to fight against a formidable enemy. God is keenly aware of the tendency of the human heart to rob Him of His glory- selfish, greedy, insecure. He will confront it and expose it. Otherwise, even the most spiritually mature and humble hearted of us, will fall into this trap.

Praise God, for His wisdom and patience with us all. We need Him more than we even know. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians‬ ‭2

Re:Verse passage – Judges 6:36-40 (day five)

“Then Gideon said to God, “If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken,”  

Can you see the trust and faith forming?  Gideon is understanding God’s word more and more. Now, he’s beginning to apply it to his life. Gideon is connecting the dots between understanding and application. And, he’s asking the Lord to help.

What have you learned recently from God’s word?  New direction, new insight, conviction, correction, new facet of God’s character?  Now, it’s time for application.  The hardest step- Where spiritual growth culminates.  Will you ask the Lord to help?

Re:Verse passage – Judges 6:22-35 (day five)  “Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.”  “The Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.”
It was a moment that shaped Gideon’s life. An intimate and intense encounter with the Lord. Gideon recognizes the sweet presence and mighty power of the Lord (God told him to not be afraid). God speaking to him.  To him. Led to obedience and courage from Gideon.
In my Facebook feed these days the “memories” that pop up are mostly from Youth Camps and Mission Trips that I was a part of for so many years.  The memories are sweet and are reminders of the same kind of moments- in God’s presence and in awe of His power. These memories shape my hopes and prayers today. I find myself simply asking God to meet with me rather than do anything for me. If He will, courage and obedience are possible. And that’s the only reason- God’s presence- power, peace, grace, joy.
Will you pray first and foremost for an encounter and interaction with the Living God?  Day by day?  Moment by moment? That will be the source of courage and obedience.

Re:Verse passage – Judges 6:1-16 (day five). He said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
Gideon’s response to the Lord at first glance seems like a bunch of excuses. I guess to some degree it is. But, if you look a little deeper, what you may sense and see is that Gideon had forgotten his identity- loved by God, rescued by God, in covenant with God, accompanied by God. So, the Lord begins to remind him of his identity- I am (will be) with you. Jesus does the same thing in the New Testament to His followers- “I will never leave you or forsake you”. When God’s promised presence helps us shape our identity, we begin to find hope, courage, potential, and joy. We must first remember who He is and the promises He has made to us.
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;” Isaiah‬ ‭43

Re:Verse passage – Judges 4:4-23, 5:7, 24-27 (day five)

“She said, “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the honor shall not be yours on the journey that you are about to take, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hands of a woman.” Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.”

“Deborah said to Barak, “Arise! For this is the day in which the Lord has given Sisera into your hands; behold, the Lord has gone out before you.”

Is there anything that will or could happen today (trips, conversations, decisions, etc.) that the Lord has not “gone before” and will not be present with you as you experience or participate in?

Deborah’s source of joy, courage, and faithfulness is found in this truth.
For those who are anxious or uncertain about today or the future… God goes before. For those who are reluctant to follow the Lord in obedience, God goes before. For those lacking joy, courage, hope, and strength, God goes before.  And from the promise of His great accompanying love, wisdom, and sovereignty, we find confidence and conviction to walk “forward”daily, serving Him with hope and joy.