11/10/12. Judges 7:1-25. THE LORD SAVES; TRUST AND OBEY-my devotional

Key Verse: 7:7                                                                                           Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF

“The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.”

Dear Lord heavenly Father, thank you for helping me to be a daily bread writer. Thank you for helping us to come together to be able to write daily bread for servants of God around the whole world. May we be edifying. May we glorify you though our meditations. Lord, I pray that you may help my family to form a house church in the way that you want us to be. Help us to reveal the holiness of God and the love of God and the mission and hope of God to the people whom you send our way. Lord, please help Julie to be one as husband and wife and live as shepherds of your flock. Please grant me one word of God through this passage. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: 300 Men of Faith (1-8a).

Verses 1-8a read, “Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. ² The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ ³ Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. ⁴ But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” ⁵ So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” ⁶ Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. ⁷ The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” ⁸ So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.”

God really wants to reveal his glory. Look at verse 2. “² The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ “The Lord was concerned about how many soldiers would fight, so he set out to find those whom he would work through. This amazes me. We think that we should come fully prepared in what we do for Jesus. We think that we should have all the bases covered and approach a situation in our human strength. But God wants to work through our weaknesses,. God wants to reveal his power and his glory. He wants the whole world to know that his power is sufficient. His strength is made perfect in weakness.

I want to be strong in my human strength. I don’t want to admit I need help. I depend on myself instead of depending on God. I thought that I could raise my kids and be a good husband, father and house church leader with my human wisdom and my strong character. This seemed to work for a short time. In some ways it produced outer obedience and conformity\. But I failed to capture my kids’ hearts. I failed to be one with my wife Julie. I failed to produce a fruitful 1:1, discipleship ministry. I thank God for what he did bring about in me and Julie and my family. All my kids believe in Jesus. They are serving Jesus in their own capacity. They are being a blessing to those around them. There are people who have been touched by the gospel. The seeds that have been planted are growing and bearing fruit. But God  wants to work through me in so many new and wonderful ways and it me striving in my own human strength and trusting in that  really hinders. When I do this I am trusting man and not in God. My strength (though it may be small) is had become my god. I was setting myself up for a great fall.

God was helping me with his disciplining hand, It was through the interpersonal struggles with my dear family members. I was broken in spirit. I fell into depression, anger, frustration, isolation and bitterness and sorrow and despair and heartache. I was forced to confess that, with my own strength, I am not a good shepherd. I am not a good house church pastor. I am not a good husband and father. I am also helpless to raise disciples of Jesus and planting a church. I always thought I could do something for Jesus. But actually I could do a few small things and cause a whole lot of collateral damage in my path.

I thought all was lost. But the amazing thing is, is this is where God really wanted me to be. “My power is made perfect in weakness.” I needed to be humbled and broken in order to confess how helpless I am and how much I need Jesus. I needed to reach out and depend on the Lord God Almighty. It took almost 3 years to break me down. (That is how entrenched I was,)  But I am in a place that where I know that God is my only hope and my only strength. What a great place to be! What a painful place to get to! I repent of depending on my frail human efforts thinking that was enough to serve God with. I want to know depend on God. I want to bring glory to God through faith.

There was a small amount of human strength that Gideon was allowed to use. he was allowed use the 300 men. Likewise there is small amount of strength that God is allowing me to use. I can still use some of my gifts and resources to serve Jesus, but not so many that I am taking the glory away from Jesus and neglecting to engage my faith.

I can also learn what kind of person that God can use. The men who brought water to their mouths with cupped hands were chosen. These men let nothing into their line of vision. They were alert. These are the ones God would use. The other warriors were sent home. God wants to work through people who are spiritually alert and ready for anything, I cannot say that I am spiritually alert. I let my fixed ideas force me to suffer a lot and cause my family members to suffer. But I let Satan have his way in so many ways. I am not alert. I do not deserve to be numbered among the 300. but I am. This is the grace of Jesus. Thank you Lord, for including me.

Though many more men sent home than stayed. But they were no less important for they were essential on the home front. They will be used to support and protect the families back home. They will also be used in the mopping up operations.  God has an important role for us all. Whether we are missionaries or stay at home, we can all be used by God. We must not get down on ourselves. We need to find out how God wants to use us. (For he surely does want to use us for an important task.) I am not a missionary. I am, in some ways, enjoying comfort and security in this world, but I thank God for using me at UBF and KBC for so many wonderful ways.  I pray that I may serve these callings well.

Part 2: God Gives Victory Over Fears (8b-25).

Verses 8b-25, “Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. ⁹ During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. ¹⁰ If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah ¹¹ and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. ¹² The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore. ¹³ Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.” ¹⁴ His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.” ¹⁵ When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” ¹⁶ Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. ¹⁷ “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. ¹⁸ When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’” ¹⁹ Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. ²⁰ The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” ²¹ While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. ²² When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. ²³ Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. ²⁴ Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. ²⁵ They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.”

God helped Gideon to overcome his fear by planting a promise. God confirmed his promise through a dream of enemy defeat. Bread made from barley was considered inferior, yet the tumbling loaf of barley bread had enough momentum to bring down a military tent. This was a foreshadow of Gideon’s victory with only jars and trumpets. God encourages us. God plants his vision in our hearts so that we can overcome our fears and move forward. I pray to move on in my commitments to Christ. I pray that God may grant Ron and Jenn freedom from fear as they serve you in aMexico. Please encourage them in their hearts.

With a heart full of assurance, Gideon took the lead, followed God’s strategy, and won. We need to follow God’s strategy and that is outlined clearly in the Bible and in the life of Jesus. God’s strategy sometimes seems “foolish”. But his ways are the best and it is his ways that bring victory in life and ministry.

Prayer: Lord, I am tempted to depend on my own puny abilities rather than on you. Help me to trust you and set out in faith and reveal your glory.

One Word: Stand firm and see the glory of God