Tag: Judges 6

Posted in Christian Service, Evangelism, Leadership, Life Inspiration

Is Your Light Still Shining?

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CHICK LIGHT

On my heart again this morning was the scripture from yesterday’s blog in Judges, Chapter 9; so off I went in pursuit of more information on that matter… which lead me to other places…people… things. All of which brought me back to Judges 9 and the pursuit of God’s will for our lives and leadership.

The character of Abimelech (which evoked Jotham to share the parable of the trees) is one of seventy sons belonging to Gideon. Yes… the same Gideon who we love to tell the story of from Judges 6-8 and his victory over the Midianites. But the story of what happens in Gideon’s life after the great victory is not one for the wall of fame… at the end of Gideon’s life the people tried to make him King (which he refused, because God alone is King) Thumbs up for Gideon. But he did allow the people to put up an idol for himself, which the Israelites worshiped. Committed fornication with the bible says, meaning they had an affair on God with Gideon’s image… Thumbs down!

How do we get so far?

Judges 8:23-27

And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you. And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.  And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels’ necks.  And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

Gideon didn’t have those 70 children with one gal… which means he likely had many wives and concubines and his sites were not centered on God. So much so that by Judges 9, we find his son Abimelech conspiring with the people of Shechem to capture and kill his brothers so that Abimelech could become King. The failure of one generation in leadership can create deterioration of the next generation’s morals to the point of destruction. I believe we’re living in those days.

Gone are the days when children have the numerous godly role models that we were blessed to be brought up with; people who knew and took serious their station in life. And it’s a proven fact that if one generation accepts something as “the norm”, the next generation embraces it and also promotes it. But this can also be said of good role models as well; although it’s harder to overcome the negative effects of the world.

So this is where I see myself captivated by the tree parable. I have a station in life, given by God, to be a role model and an encouragement to women and children. If I leave that role… going after the world… those that I was intended to influence for good will now have the power of evil to influence them in my stead. Because where light is absent, darkness takes hold.

Where did God call you to be? Is your light still shining?

Posted in Christian Service, Leadership, Life Inspiration

But Now… are you willing?

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chick content

Judges 6:13

And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

Far be it from me to be disobedient to God and then wonder why I feel forsaken. (…yeah right) And I have on more than one occasion claimed the latter part of Hebrews 13:5: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” ignoring the prefix of that statement where it says  “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have” and then it says “I will never thee, nor forsake thee.” I for certain want God not to forsake me, but I don’t want to have to do without stuff! That was a side bar on the Gideon story, but the truth of the matter is, God had allowed Israel to get into bondage again with the Midianites because they had traded Him for the gods of the world. Tell me that doesn’t ring familiarity to the church today and in our individual lives.

We want God in a crisis, “but now” that’s it’s over we’ll see what we can do about penciling Him in. We don’t have to ask ourselves why the circumstances of America are playing out as they are; it’s because the nation as a whole has turned their back on God. Gideon hadn’t turned his back on God, because God called him a “mighty man of valour.” So why then was Gideon the mighty man of valour hiding in the wine press to thresh wheat? The logical answer for me is, because he was human. Even those of us who desire to stand up and fight against the wickedness of the world find ourselves cowering down somewhere because the enemy seems too much and we seem so insignificant by comparison.

Through God’s counsel Gideon and Israel had victory but there were a few steps in between.

He questioned God’s judgment on using him.

Vs 15 – behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

To country quote it, “I ain’t got any money, and I don’t have the strength to fight that battle Lord.” God doesn’t’ need our money or our muscle! He wants a man willing to use what He’s equipped with. That’s why in Hebrew 13:5 Jesus tells us to be content with what we have, because that’s what God needs. What we have.

Gideon didn’t have much, but what he had he was willing to give to the Lord. In verse 18-19 of Judges 6 Gideon said. “Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again. And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.”

 In reading chapter 6 we discover that he sacrificed what he had, sought God’s counsel, and followed His instruction. The very same thing that we too have to offer God.

  • What we’ve been given… a little, or a lot doesn’t matter.
  • Time in His presence (costs nothing)
  • And obedience to His instruction (and He’ll equip us with the rest)

But now… America is here. But with a few Mighty folks of Valour, willing to be content with what we have, and listen to God, we could be a far better nation. Are you willing?