Judges 6-8
The year’s wrapping up and as we all prepare our hearts for the New Year, there’s a lot we can learn from the man Gideon in Judges chapters 6-8.
I was blessed and encouraged as I read about this ordinary guy who was used by God. Here’s a few things I learned from him:
- ‘If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?’ Don’t we all feel that way sometimes? Where was God when the enemy tried to snuff out our very lives? When we lost all we had? The Midianites were terrorizing the Isrealites at this time, making life very unbearable for God’s people. Of course, the Isrealites wouldn’t have been in that situation if they hadn’t been unfaithful to the Lord in worshiping other gods and living in sin. But God sees and knows all. He hears our cry for help and He responds in His own time. The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. He has never forsaken those who seek Him. (Psalm 9:9-10). God responded to the cries of His people, and chose a man to deliver victory.
- Extraordinary from Ordinary: Gideon was a very regular ordinary ‘do-everything-to avoid-confrontation’ kind of guy. Yet God saw Him, and God used Him. He was fearful and timid yet obedient. The Lord had asked Him to destroy his father’s Baal alter and erect one unto the Lord. Fearful Giddy boy did it at night! I have wondered why the Lord chose Gideon over all the other men in Israel. Maybe because Gideon was humble enough to know his own limitations and let God take the glory. Gideon was afraid and beset with doubts, but still he obeyed all the instructions the Lord had given him. The Lord will do great things through us if we’d let Him take the reins and return all the glory to Him. 2014 is not a year to be high on our own supply.
- Great and Mighty Warrior: The irony of it all. A man fearfully hiding from his oppressors being hailed as a great warrior by the Greatest Warrior there is. God sees us differently from the way we see ourselves. He looks at us and sees what we can be, in spite of all our flaws and limitations. A good goal for the New Year would be to consistently work at aligning ourselves with the image God has of us.
- The snare of success: After God used Gideon to deliver the nation from the oppressive Midianites, Gideon does the unthinkable. He builds an idol with gold, and all Israel came to worship the gold idol in his house. Nobody thought about the Lord who gave them victory anymore. Success, wealth, comfort and all its trappings can be a snare to us as well. We would do well to resolve in our hearts not to build idols from the successes God will bless us with in this New Year and beyond. We must always remind ourselves to look to the Giver and Source of everything good, and not be carried away by His gifts.
This is by no means an exhaustive account of Gideon’s life. These are just a few points that blessed me and I thought to share. I pray as you study this remarkable story in the Bible, you will be blessed, encouraged and strengthened.
This is probably the last post for 2013. Thank you for stopping by this page. Thank you for taking the time to read the posts. Thank you for encouraging the expression of my gift. I pray you have a glorious 2014. I pray that you walk in step with the Lord all the days of the New Year and beyond. The Lord bless and keep you and yours. Happy New Year!!