Gideon and the Kindness of God

The kindness of God astounds me. 

The story of Gideon includes a moment when God spoke to him with such sweetness that I'm blown away again by how gentle God can be with us. (Judges 7:9-15)

You probably remember that Gideon was so fearful of the Midianites that he beat out his wheat inside a wine press so they wouldn't see him. Despite his fear, God called Gideon to lead an army of 300 men into battle against an enormous Midianite army (an numerous as locusts) with nothing more than trumpets, clay pitchers, and flaming torches.

Needless to say, Gideon was afraid. I would've been, too.

The night that Gideon trimmed his army down to 300 men, God spoke to Gideon. "I've given the Midianite camp into your hands already. Go down against it."

Here's where the sweetness of God comes into play. It's breathtaking to me.

"But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, 

and you will hear what they say; 

and afterward your hands will be strengthened that you may go down against the camp." Judges 7:10-11 nasb

God had asked Gideon to trust Him with a battle that, without God's intervention, would mean certain death for him and all his men. There was not a sword between them. Their only defense was Almighty God.

He was all the defense they needed, but they weren't experienced enough to know it yet.

God knew the limitation of their faith. He knew their fear, and He did a kind and beautiful thing. 

He sent Gideon, along with his servant Purah, to the camp to eavesdrop. What the two men heard shocked them. A Midianite man related a dream and his friend interpreted it. "God has given Midian and all the camp into the hand of Gideon."

Those words strengthened Gideon. He and his paltry crew went out against the Midianite army and God intervened. The Midianite soldiers ran. Gideon had a tremendous victory.

Our God knows us.

He knows our strengths and weaknesses. He knows our fear and He knows when we obey despite that fear.

His lovingkindness is so great that He created a divine appointment for Gideon and the man with the dream. With a few sentences, He wiped away Gideon's fear and replaced it with the certainty of God's provision.

No matter what we face, God is with us. He knows us. He helps us to obey and, at just the right time, He sends us the encouragement we need.

We can trust Him.

Today, let's trust and obey without hesitation, knowing that the kindness of God will be sufficient to carry us through whatever He has asked us to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In case you missed it, here are links to: The 7:14 prayers and The Left Hander, The Fat Man, and the Woman in the Tent.

#Warrior #faith #GideonandthekindnessofGod #linesfromleanna

Lessons from the Battlefield, part 10: Law Versus Grace

2 Chronicles 30:1-4, 34-46         

Passover was to be celebrated in the first month.  Numbers 9 outlined the consequences of failure to obey.  If a person was unclean because of contact with a dead person or was on a distant journey at the time of Passover, he could celebrate Passover in the second month, 14th day.  According to the law, if the man simply neglected to observe the Passover, that person was to be cut off from his people and bear his own sin.  

The law was abundantly clear, and there was to be no exception.  

For sixteen years, Hezekiah’s father had been king and for much, if not all, of that time, the temple doors had been closed.  None of the holy days, including Passover, were observed.  Hezekiah, however, opened the temple and instructed the priests to cleanse the temple and consecrate themselves.  He was committed to reinstitutingthe Passover observance.  

As diligent as the workers were, they still could not be ready by the appointed time, so Hezekiah scheduled Passover for a later date.  Hezekiah understood that what God desired most of all was obedience and relationship.  Because the people were both repentant and eagerly desiring to obey, God provided ample grace to cover the fact that their actions were not quite on time.  

Aren’t we glad that we serve a God of second chances and abundant grace?  Is there something God has put on your heart to do?  Have you delayed?  Our God of grace and love is still offering yet another chance to obey.

Lessons from the Battlefield, part 6: Jotham - not just his daddy's boy

2 Chronicles 27:1-6

 

Jotham, Uzziah’s son, became king after the death of Uzziah and reigned for sixteen years.  He did right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father Uzziah had done.  He was faithful all the days of his life.  Jotham, however, did not become so prideful that he became presumptuous, as his father had done.

 

What was it that Uzziah had done?

S.

Sought the Lord

F.

Fought with God’s help

B.

Built towers in the wilderness and kept a sharp lookout for danger

K.

Kept the army equipped and ready for danger

D.

Delegated authority to capable people

Made engines of war invented by skillful men

 

In addition, to what Uzziah did, Jotham built the upper gate of the house of the Lord, built extensively the wall of Ophel, built cities in the hill country, built fortresses and towers, fought with the Ammonites and prevailed.

 

The summary of Jotham’s life is this:

 

He became mighty because he ordered his ways before the Lord.

 

What does it mean to "order your ways before the Lord"? Jotham looked at his father's life, saw his successes and his failure, and recognized the source of both. He chose, every day for his entire reign as king, to do things God's way, every time. He did more great deeds than his father had done. Pride was likely a temptation, but he knew firsthand what the price would be, and he chose humility. He chose obedience. He chose discipleship. 

If we want the kind of life Jotham had, one that pleases God, we need to do what he did. 

Choose humility

Choose obedience. 

Choose discipleship. 

Every single time. 

Lessons from the Battlefield, part 4: Amaziah the Half-Hearted

2 Chronicles 25:1-28

 

Amaziah was Uzziah’s father.  When he became king, he “did right in the eyes of the Lord, but not with a whole heart.”  He was willing to serve God on his schedule, but holding back a part of his heart eventually cost him dearly. 

​Amaziah assembled a large army in Judah, but the strength God had given him didn’t seem enough.  He hired 100,000 valiant warriors from Israel to assist his army.  It seemed like a good idea.  He needed to enlarge his army and the men he hired were proven soldiers, known for being both brave and fierce.  A man of God, however, brought word that the soldiers of Israel were not to accompany Judah’s army.  “God is not with them,” he said.  If Amaziah allowed them to fight with him, he would be defeated.  Amaziah’s unholy alliance would cost him dearly if he did not abandon it.    

Amaziah was worried about his investment, and argued that he had already paid them a substantial amount of money.  “Let it go,” the man of God said.  “God has more to give you than 100,000 talents of silver.”  He implied that, unless Amaziah obeyed, he would forfeit all the blessings God had planned.  Amaziah did exactly what the prophet said.  He dismissed the soldiers and sent them home.  

God did give him the victory he needed, but, unbelievably, although Amaziah had thoroughly defeated the army of Seir, he took the idols/gods of Seir and set them up as his own.  He abandoned the Lord and began to worship the foreign idols. A prophet came to him.  “Amaziah, can’t you tell that these ‘gods’ couldn’t save their own people?  How can they help you?” he asked.  “Shut up!” he replied.  “I didn’t ask you for your advice!”  “God will destroy you for this,” the prophet warned.  

Amaziah was determined to do things his way, and he wanted a fight.  He eventually talked Joab of Israel into fighting and, as he was warned, Amaziah was defeated.  He was taken hostage, Jerusalem was looted, and the wealth of the temple was taken as spoil.  

Amaziah spent the rest of his life as a captive rather than in the luxury of his palace.  The king became a prisoner, not because of chance events but because he wanted to go his own way.  The part of his heart held back from God eventually cost him dearly.  

Are you following God with your “whole heart” or, like Amaziah, are you holding back part of your life, your heart?  Is there an area in your life that is “off limits” to God?  Amaziah found that the “off limits” area was far too costly.  What will your “off limits area” cost you?  Why not surrender to our Lord and let Him have His way with your life?