Daryl Pint – Page 270

What more shall I say

“And what more shall I say?”

Judges 13:24
And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtao

1 Samuel 2:21
And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.

2:26
And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.

3:19
The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.

Luke 1:80
And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Hebrews 11:32
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.

There are numerous accounts given where God interceded in bringing a person into the lives of the people of that time. Remember during this time of the old covenant God’s holy spirit was not continuously present with mankind. In fact there was greater than 400 year time when there were no prophets just before John the Baptist and Jesus birth. I wonder what expectations of God are on us who live with the presence of the Holy Spirit available. Do we allow ourselves to be filled, lead, instructed, convicted, supported, encouraged by the Holy Spirit? Are we listening for that quit still voice speaking into our lives? Are we willing to obey what we hear? Do we give reverence to God for any of this interceding? I ask myself this over and over again. Do I place God first? Am I listening for and to His guidance and instruction? Am I willing to obey His leading? Do I show reverence for Him? Do I see Him in the light that I want to only honor and serve Him? If I am honest there are days I can say yes to some of these and many more I do not? I have so much more room to grow in this understanding. When I catch a glimpse of His majesty I realize I am not even close to a microscopic drop on the tip of an iceberg. Oh God open my eyes, ears, mind and heart to know more of you

Angel of the Lord Appeared

Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.”

Judges 13:2
There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children. And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” Then the woman came and told her husband, “A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. I did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name, but he said to me, Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”
Then Manoah prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born.” And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her. So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, “Behold, the man who came to me the other day has appeared to me.” And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to this woman?” And he said, “I am.” And Manoah said, “Now when your words come true, what is to be the child’s manner of life, and what is his mission?” And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. She may not eat of anything that comes from the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe.”
Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “Please let us detain you and prepare a young goat for you.” And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “If you detain me, I will not eat of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the Lord.” (For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord.) And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?” And the angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?” So Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the Lord, to the one who works wonders, and Manoah and his wife were watching. And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the Lord went up in the flame of the altar. Now Manoah and his wife were watching, and they fell on their faces to the ground. The angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.”

leviticus 9:24
And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.

1 Chronicles 21:16
And David lifted his eyes and saw the angel of the Lord standing between earth and heaven, and in his hand a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

Ezekiel 1:28
Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

Exodus 3:6
At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

Deuteronomy 5:26
For what mortal has ever heard the voice of the living God speaking out of fire, as we have, and survived?

The story of Samson. The angel of the Lord visited the woman (his future mom) and spoke. She went and told her husband and he asked God for confirmation. God Listened and the angel of the Lord came and spoke again. When they offered up a sacrifice and saw the angel of the Lord go up in the flames, to be seen no more, they fell on their face and thought they would die because they thought they saw God. I am intrigued by this and as well other scripture that speaks of the same response. Falling on their face and thinking they would die. They had just been witness to an act of God. They fell on their face to worship Him and then because they thought it was God they thought they would die. Two things come to mind. Do we have the same reverence for God? When we see His holy power and strength in acts around us do we fall on our face in reverence? Do we reverence His holiness to the point where we would think we would die if we saw Him? Are we looking for His intervention in our lives? Do we acknowledge Him when these happen? Do we fall on our face with awe, wonder, and reverence? Do we understand our sinful nature in light of His holiness? I think this is something we need to be mindful of everyday. Know God lives. Look for and expect to see His hand at work in our lives. Give reverence to this work when we see it. God becomes more and more alive in our lives when we stay in His word. Our faith grows as we stay in His word. Our lives change for the better when we stay in His word. Purpose to stay in His word! Live in such a way that all you think, say, and do brings honor and glory to Him!

Seems right

“And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord”

Judges 12:7
Jephthah led Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in a town in GileadAfter him, Ibzan of Bethlehem led Israel. He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He gave his daughters away in marriage to those outside his clan, and for his sons he brought in thirty young women as wives from outside his clan. Ibzan led Israel seven years. Then Ibzan died and was buried in Bethlehem.
After him, Elon the Zebulunite led Israel ten years. Then Elon died and was buried in Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.
After him, Abdon son of Hillel, from Pirathon, led Israel. He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy donkeys. He led Israel eight years. Then Abdon son of Hillel died and was buried at Pirathon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.

Judges 3:7
And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan- rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan- rishathaim eight years

Judges 4:1
And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord after Ehud died. And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan

Judges 6:1
The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years

All through Judges we see time and time again of His people falling away. I think about this often and wonder how this happens. Sometimes I think it starts with one person who is looked at as a person of God. His actions and words seem right. Somewhere along the line he takes a small step way and then another and another. I have to think back in his mind he is watching the reaction of those around him for approval or not. Every little step is further and further away from serving God. It is not as though he is wanting to lead people astray but rather trying to justify the way that seems easier for him. The more people who do not speak up and hold him accountable the more others take this path as “Approved”. When men of God do not speak up and hold their brothers and sisters accountable, when they don’t encourage and warn them to honor and glorify God – history shows us how easy it is to follow what the culture is saying is ok. Proverbs states it like this:

“There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.
Even in laughter the heart may ache,
and the end of joy may be grief.
The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways”

People wonder why it is important to read and know scripture. If we do not desire it, read it, know it, meditate on it, remember it, – how can we obey it and live in such a way that all we say and what we do is honoring and glorifying God.

God is Alive

“Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just”
“God is witness between you and me”

Judges 11:23
“Now since the Lord, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over? Will you not take what your god Chemosh gives you? Likewise, whatever the Lord our God has given us, we will possess. Are you any better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or fight with them? For three hundred years Israel occupied Heshbon, Aroer, the surrounding settlements and all the towns along the Arnon. Why didn’t you retake them during that time? I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the Lord, the Judge, decide the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
The king of Ammon, however, paid no attention to the message Jephthah sent him.
Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord:“If you give the Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord ’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”
Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into his hands. He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon.
When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of timbrels! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh no, my daughter! You have brought me down and I am devastated. I have made a vow to the Lord that I cannot break.”
“My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.”
“You may go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. After the two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin.

Joshua 3:10
And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

Deuteronomy 2:36
The Lord our God gave all into our hands

Jephthah was driven out by his clan and later when they were in trouble they came to him for help. What amazes me with Jephthah was his historical knowledge of how Israel moved through the land that God lead them to and gave into their hands. He speaks of God as Judge over all the earth. He places God’s judgment over that of men. Joshua also spoke of God as the “living God” and Moses said “the Lord our God gave all into our hands”. It is good for us to constantly remember that our God is Living – He is Judge over all the earth – He is judge over all of mankind. I think Paul said it best when he said “what manner of people ought you to be in light of all of this – including salvation through Jesus Christ?” Keep in mind that God is living and will judge us for not only our actions but our thoughts – keep your heart pure, fill it with a desire for God – live with the sole purpose to honor and glorify Him.

Love Never Fails

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:5

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self- seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 10:24
Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor

Matthew 5:22
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.

I was at a very special wedding this weekend and these verses from 1 Cor 13 were read. I guess we expect these verses to be read at the wedding as a guide to the new couple to base their new life together on. How much do I allow these to permeate my everyday thoughts and actions? I can’t remember the last time I have spent time thinking about these verses but what a wake up call. Love is patient – This is not something that comes natural to me. It is so easy to get wigged out over plans not happing as “I” want. Love is not proud – I happen to know that parents of the bride and groom were both proud and thankful. They might have even been a bit boastful – “that is my daughter – that is my son”. Their being proud and boastful was encapsulated with thankful hearts to God for their children and occasion. Love is not easily angered, love is not self-seeking, love keeps no record of wrongs – oh my this is something we can all put on our mirrors and read daily. How much nicer would our immediate world be if we were the ones living this out. True love never fails.

How Easy

“I will forsake them and hide my face from them”

Judges 10:6
The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the Lord and did not serve him. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites, and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.
And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against you, because we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.” And the Lord said to the people of Israel, “Did I not save you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the Ammonites and from the Philistines? The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I saved you out of their hand. Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. Go and cry out to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.” And the people of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel.

1 Kings 11:5
For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father had done. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. And so he did for all his foreign wives, who made offerings and sacrificed to their gods.

Deuteronomy 31:16
Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?

Can you imagine falling way from God and being subjected to oppression for 18 years. This is just what happened. Do we think for a minute that this will not or could not happen to us corporately as a nation or individually as a person? Think about he last time you heard anyone speaking about God and what He is doing in their life – just in normal daily conversation. When is the last time you did outside of church? How are current and future generations to hear about what God has done, is doing, and will do if we are not speaking what we believe. Is our belief so shallow that we won’t even speak about it? How fast will a culture or nation fall when people will not speak about God, His love, His mercy, His grace, His judgement? I wonder how many people were only one conversation about God away from serving Him and we were that conversation but did not speak about Him. How many people are following the rest of this culture away from God because they have not seen or heard who God is and what He is doing in our lives. I agree that our lives have to have more than just words – they need to reflect actions in line with God’s word. Both words and actions should be present in our lives everyday.

Seems Right

“During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace forty years”

Judges 8:33
No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal- Berith as their god and did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub- Baal (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.
Abimelek son of Gideon went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan, “Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you:to have all seventy of Jerub- Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man? ’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.”
When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, “He is related to us.” They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal- Berith, and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels, who became his followers. He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Gideon.

Proverbs 12:15
The way of fools seems right to them,
but the wise listen to advice.

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.
Even in laughter the heart may ache,
and the end of joy may be grief.
The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways,
and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
The simple believes everything,
but the prudent gives thought to his steps

A good lesson to learn from today. Following God will give purpose and peace to you life. I can only imagine what transpired to cause such a quick falling away from following God. Gideon dies and soon after people forget God and start following idols. What is in the heart of man that it so easily can disregard God. For 40 years they had peace. Can it be that in peace we lose sight of our need for God? In peace do we no longer seek Him? Is our heart prone to distance ourselves away from God in times of peace? Is it possible that those who have a very shallow desire and love for God are just one moment of peace away from disregarding Him from their lives? Paul instructed us to guard our heart and mind in and through our knowledge of Jesus Christ. He instructed us to put on the full amour of God for this purpose. Peter said it very well too “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. “Being lukewarm in our walk with God is not going to end well. It is so easy to say “tomorrow I will set my desire for Him and live for Him – but in reality tomorrow never comes. Today is the day, not tomorrow, next week, or when you find time. Scriptures throughout the bible are there to teach us. We should understand from history how easy it is to follow others and let that determine our expectation of what it means to follow God. Read God’s word and let it speak to your heart on what His expectations are for you. Our purpose this side of eternity is to honor and glorify Him – How can this happen if are not fully committed? How can this happen if we do not spend time in His word?

What is your snare

All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.

Judges 8:23
But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)
They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks. Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.

1 Samuel 12:12
And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king. And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king.

Exodus 32:7
And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt

I keep reading these accounts of God’s greatness and how He allowed people to see it. I sit back and wonder how could these people so easily fall away from what God truly expected of them. Look at Exodus where the people saw God perform great power and wonders in their exodus from Egypt. When Moses went to the mountain to be with God and be instructed for 40 days the people immediately made an idol to worship. Again in Samuel we see where the people had God present with them and they asked God for a king when He was clearly their King. There are numerous examples throughout scripture of God’s people choosing something other than God to worship and give honor to. Is this still true today? Do we give honor, glory, worth to something other than God? Do our lives reflect humble submission and service to Him? Is there both and outward and inward difference to our lives compared to those who regard God as a fairy tale? The only way to answer these questions is to reflect on what God’s word says and speaks into your heart. If there is no regular time spent in His word how are we able to (as instructed) “write it on our heart”, “write it on our door posts”, “meditate on it day and night”, “take it with us on our coming and going”. The biggest error in any life is to disregard His word and having a deep heart desire to humbly serve Him.

Out numbered

“Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands”

Judges 7:9
Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. 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. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 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. 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.
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.”
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.”
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.” Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.
“Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 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. ’”
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. 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!” While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.
When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords

Joshua 2:24
And they said to Joshua, “Truly the Lord has given all the land into our hands”

Deuteronomy 28:42
The cricket shall possess all your trees and the fruit of your ground.The sojourner who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him. He shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.
“All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you”

300 men were outnumbered by more than they could count. Yet God fought their battle even before they arrived. He had put fear and confusion into the hearts and minds of their enemy. I love how God encouraged Gideon – if you are afraid take take your servant with you and listen to how they are speaking. As soon as Gideon heard the fear in their conversation he bowed down and worshiped God for he heard and realized God’s hand was with him. Remember Gideon had said that he was least in his fathers house and his father house was least in their clan. Listening to God and being encouraged by what He has done, will do, and is doing it is good for us to bow down and worship Him. This is God’s battle not Gideon’s. Sometimes we are in battles that are our own doing because we do not spend time in His word and have abandoned listening to His voice. These battles are only overcome by bowing down and seeking forgiveness before God. Other times God stirs our heart and leads us into areas we, like Gideon, do not feel at all equipped to face. These too are times we need to bow down and seek Him. I keep being reminded of this questions “how are we to know Him and his power, strength, love, and mercy if we spend no time reading His word?” “How are we to obey His leading if there is nothing from His word speaking into our heart?” How are we to know His purpose for our life without seeking the source through His word?”

Overcoming the overwhelming

“Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth. ’ “

Judges 7:1
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. 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. ’ 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.
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.”
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.” Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
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.” So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others

Deuteronomy 8:17
Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth. ’ You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish

2 Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed

Deuteronomy 9:4
“Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,’ whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out before you. Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out from before you

God knows our heart all so clear. He did not want to leave any doubt in the Israelites minds. They went out with 31,000 men to fight. God knew the heart of man and that they would think it was in there power and might – not in the power of God. God took this number not to 10% but rather down to less than 1% – 300 men. Imagine if you were one of the 300. Many times in our life we come up against something and we want to throw tons of effort, people and resources at it when in fact we should fall on our knees and seek His divine intervention. It seems natural to try to do it on our own and in our own power doesn’t it? Just think back at how many times have you heard people say “there goes a self made man or woman”? or “It is because of how hard they worked” or “It is because of how smart they are” or “It is because of luck”…… I have no clue what you are facing but I do know that our God is more than able to take on whatever it is your are trying to face alone. Humbly take it to Him and leave it in His hands. There are issues that only He alone can change. There are others that He will speak to your heart and guide you on what to do. Either way the the first move for you is to bow before Him. Trust in His power, strength, and love. With it in His hands all things are possible.