Author: Scott Lane

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.

Re:Verse passage – Judges 3:11-30 (day five)  “But when the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.”
I am indebted to commentator Michael Wilcock for help with understanding and explaining the Hebrew language. Verse 15 is not telling us that Ehud was a “lefty” per say.  Instead, the language is telling us that he could not use his right hand. Deformed? Paralyzed? We don’t know.  This language is telling us that most people (including Eglon) focused on his limitations.  What we do know is that Ehud was faithful/trusting and used what he had been given to serve God.  The “withered” right hand allows him access to an enemy leader. It also further demonstrates the power and purposes of God.  The Israelites must trust God in using someone they themselves saw as limited and an unexpected hero.  Sound familiar?

Isaiah 53- “For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”

1 Corinthians 1- “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.”

Re:Verse passage – Judges 2:11-20, 3:5-11 (day seven)

“All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel. Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals…”

Words of warning and words of sobering truth. Words of challenge and caution (for those that have an ear to hear). FBCSA has two significant and potentially life-changing opportunities for the next generation in our church- Youth Camp and Vacation Bible School. The Lord will entrust our church with the task of evangelism and discipleship to teenagers and children. Will WE be faithful to serve, lead, share, minister, and love the next generation?  “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10.

We have been given at least these two chances. Let’s pray!  Let’s volunteer! Let’s be faithful to the Lord and to the next generation!

“One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.” Psalms‬ ‭145:4‬