The Lord’s Desire For You
Scripture: Judges
6:13-14 (ESV)
“Please, my lord,
if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all
his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord
bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the
hand of Midian.” 14 And
the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel
from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”
Devotion:
Today’s scripture from the Book of Judges
begins the call of Gideon to deliver God’s people from the power of the people
of Midian. Raiders from Midian have made life miserable for the children of
Israel. God wants to end His people’s suffering. He chooses Gideon to be His
person for the job. Just like Moses, Gideon complains to the Lord that he is
not wealthy or powerful enough for the task. God will have none of it.
Today, if you asked a man or woman
on the street who Gideon was. You will probably
get a blank stare and an “I do not know” in response. If they know the name, they
may have noticed that most Motels and Hotels in this country have a Bible in
the nightstand with this name embossed on the cover. But their knowledge
probably ends there. Even many Christians are not familiar with the story of
Gideon from Judges chapters 6-8.
People in our day and age may not
know Gideon. However, God certainly did. The Lord knew that Gideon was not a
person you might consider for leadership based on external appearances. God, as
always, looks on the inner person when choosing someone to lead His people. The
Lord knows us better than we know ourselves.
Gideon shows a
mixture of doubt and obedience in the process of accepting God’s call to lead
the people. Once Gideon agrees with this call from the Lord, he goes all out to
fulfill this call and does, with God’s supernatural help, evict the people of
Midian and other nations who were encroaching on the Land God had given to His
people.
What lesson does
this story have to teach us in the 21st century? First, it teaches
us that if we sense the Lord’s call to do something, we can be assured that He
will give us all the tools necessary to finish the task set before us. In the
coming days, we will look at the various ways God patiently waits for Gideon to
get on board with God and His plan to deliver His people. Let us now ask God to
open our eyes and ears to hear God calling us to participate in His redemption
plan for all humankind.
Prayer:
Lord God Almighty, bless us with
open hearts and clear minds to accept your call on our lives. We have read the
Great Commission and know it is your desire for all your children to make
disciples of every nation. Help us take that commission seriously, be willing
to listen to your inner promptings, and always obey your word. We may, like
Gideon, not appear to be able to do much for your kingdom, but you look deeper
and know what we are really capable of. Please help us to have faith and follow
where you lead. Amen.
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