The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Judges 7:23-24, 8:1-9 (day four)

Which way is the wind blowing?  That is the question the leaders of Succoth and Penuel wanted to know.  These two cities were east of the Jordan.  They regularly had contact with these nomadic tribes and they did not want to stir up ill will.  Their goal was to get along with everyone and remain neutral and uninvolved.  Take no stand on anything so nobody gets offended.  Forget that God had given instructions regarding hospitality to your brothers.  Sit on the fence so you can drop off on either side as needed.

Their unwillingness to commit did not turn out well for these two cities.  In our spiritual life, we sometimes take the same position as Succoth and Penuel.  Truth be known, we are either for God or against God.  There is no neutrality in our spiritual lives.  It did not go well for Succoth and Penuel…neither will end well for us.  Each of us must take responsibility for our own decisions.  Are we for God or against Him?  We can’t be neutral!

Re:Verse passage – Judges 7:23-24, 8:1-9 (day three)

“What was I able to do in comparison with you?”

With this remark, Gideon displays the humble character that enabled him to remain attentive to his own motives: “Am I just making things up?” “Can I really lead these soldiers?” “Do I have what it takes to do what’s needed?” He regarded his own abilities with curiosity and his own conclusions with self-doubt. That kind of posture might seem like weakness to some, but it made room in Gideon’s life for others to join him in the mission. He saw his limitations, and so he had the ability to let others do what they were good at doing. He didn’t feel the compulsion to be the hero. You can find the same characteristic in Jesus’s cousin John: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Re:Verse passage – Judges 7:23-24, 8:1-9 (day two)

Then Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came to the Jordan and crossed over, weary yet pursuing. 8:4

There are several parts to this ongoing story of Gideon, but don’t miss this part: all the men survived the battle. In a battle every commander weighs the acceptable rate of loss. The unimaginable happened with Gideon and his men. From the very outset against the Midianites, God controlled the narrative. This was never Gideon’s battle. Continue reading in verse 4…they were weary, yet they kept pursuing. Think for a moment the assignment that God has placed upon your heart. Know this, if he has called you to it, he will see you through it. Know this also, it will cost you. Serving will require much from you physically, emotionally, and spiritually…but the outcome is secure. Don’t give up. Trust the one who called you. Now get back out there and pursue.

Re:Verse passage – Judges 7:12-22 (day seven)  

“Each stood in his place around the camp; and all the army ran, crying out as they fled.” vs 21

Imagine yourself as one of the soldiers in Gideon’s army. Imagine the confusion as you watch 32,000 fellow soldiers dwindle to 10,000 then again to 300. Imagine the feeling in the pit of your stomach as you marched up on a camp of 100,000+ with only a jar of clay, a trumpet, and a torch. Imagine the relief as you watch your battle be fought for you right before your eyes.

How many of you didn’t have to imagine this? How many of you have lived it? You found yourself asking “God what are you doing?! I don’t see your plan!” Then you begin to fret because you feel ill prepared for the task at hand, only to be relived when you see God had already fought your battle for you.

“The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.” Exodus 14:14

“Cease striving and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Re:Verse passage – Judges 7:12-22 (day 6)

Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. 1 Peter 4:11

God is the greatest benefactor. No one gives like God gives.

Gideon (and his men) were the beneficiaries of God’s extravagant generosity. Like a father longing to give good gifts to his children, so God gave to Gideon. It is in this moment we come to realize, God is not some distant deity pulling strings, but a compassionate Heavenly Father who seeks our good.

 

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 7:12-22 (day four)

Can God use a man in His kingdom work if he is not a child of God?  The answer is a resounding yes!  God can use anyone He chooses to accomplish His work.  When Israel rebelled against God, He often used pagan kings and nations to deliver His judgment upon them.  Here in our Re:Verse passage, God uses a pagan warrior to deliver a message to Gideon.

Just because a person does a lot of good things in their life, does not mean they have a relationship with God.  Matthew 7:22-23 says, “Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”  You cannot trust in works to gain salvation, only through Jesus Christ can you receive forgiveness of sin and life eternal in heaven!  Ask God for discernment to know the difference between works and faith.  (Luke 21:8)

Re:Verse passage – Judges 7:12-22 (day three)

“This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash.”

Within the span of just a few moments, it all became spectacularly clear to Gideon: he was living rent-free in the heads of Midian’s fighting forces. They had already lost. For an army this spooked, it would only require a small push to tip them over into complete chaos. Gideon’s 300 was that small push. With this last-minute reconnaissance mission, God afforded Gideon a heaven’s-eye view of reality. From that point on, Gideon possessed the confidence to meet the task at hand. A very Gideon-inspired prayer is one which asks God, “What is the larger perspective in this situation?” That perspective won’t show you what’s easy, but it will show you what’s possible.

Re:Verse passage – Judges 7:12-22 (day two) 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.” vs. 14

From 32,000 warriors to 300 trumpet players, God prevailed. From the show of Israel’s might, to a trusting leader and men willing to obey an outlandish military tactic, this victory had the hand of the Lord all over it. It didn’t start with the trumpets, however. The Lord had been at work in the hearts of the Midianites. Gideon’s greatest action was to move forward in obedience and allow the Lord to work. Just those marching around the walls of Jericho, God was before them. Do you struggle with trying to figure out how it will all work out? If it doesn’t seem possible, does that inhibit your ability to act in faith? God clearly demonstrated his ability to defeat overwhelming forces with seemingly inadequate resources. He still can.