PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Judges 7-8
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you.” (Judges 7:7)
God created us to partner with us in ruling creation.
Humans were made very good, to lead with, like and for God.
But sin causes us to defy God, to do things our own way in our own strength.
The book of Judges shows us how again and again God’s people mess up.
When God steps in to help, He could just save them by Himself.
Using 300 soldiers was a message; I will work with you in your weakness.
God still partners with us, and wants to save the world WITH us.
Gideon is a weak leader… weak faith, weak character, weak strength.
But God partners with his weakness, and his weak army, to save Israel.
Jesus comes as a weak messiah (in strength, not in faith and character).
He models the kind of meekness and humility God’s partners ought to have.
God uses this meek messiah and His small band of followers to save the world.
I am one of the ‘weak water lappers’ that God is partnering with.
Mess that I am, I stand with Messiah; together we will overcome!
PRAYER
Lord, if You can use Gideon, You can use me. Help me overcome my weakness in Your strength, with Your character, with Your faith!
Who gets the credit? In whom do you trust? It’s not in the numbers of soldiers – God chooses the smallest group) or the skill of the strategist – it’s in God. Gideon learned that- he was not brave on his own – he was weak. But so were the people. Even when God through him and his small group got the enemies to flee, the surrounding Israelite villages were not willing to provide bread for his hungry men as they were pursuing their enemies – where they afraid and didn’t want to be part of ‘enabling’ Gideon’s men? Afterward, people wanted Gideon to be their king – but rightfully Gideon says no – God is King. But the people seek to credit him and not God – they gave him gold (at his request) that he uses to fashion an Ephod – a golden breastplate that he sets up in his town – something that a priest would wear – and it became an item of worship – a form of idolatry that takes the credit away from God. I too need to be careful – who gets the credit for any achievements that God allows or facilitates me to make? When I am weak I can be strong through Jesus.
We pray in the Lord’s prayer, Your will be done. I need that reminder every day for all too often I want it my way. As a Jesus follower, I need to put my hand in His large hand for Him to lead me and guide me in the way to go. I need Him every hour to be an instrument of His peace – in my living for Jesus.
1 I am weak but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Refrain:
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
2 Thro’ this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. [Refrain]
3 When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore. [Refrain]