May 19th
11 Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. 12And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” 13Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, “Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” 14Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” 15So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” 16And the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.” Judges 6:11-16 NKJV
The story of Gideon is a fascinating account of how the Lord used a regular guy to do an amazing work. Every person who feels weak and insignificant in the face of a struggle can get a “faith boost” from the story of Gideon. This opening scene introduces Gideon, who was working at the winepress for his father. Gideon probably did not have high aspirations in life, but simply to eventually take over his father’s business and work the land.
Gideon’s outlook drastically changed when the angel visited him. The angel said some amazing things to Gideon, and Gideon seemed to think it was too good to be true. He came from a weak clan and was the least in his father’s house. Gideon, like many other Israelites felt that God had deserted his people. Despite Gideon’s unbelief, the Lord did not give up on him. Instead, the Lord restated that he would use him to deliver Israel (see verses 17-40).
This story can encourage us in our faith. We may be looking at a situation with impossible odds and feeling that there is no way that God will come through for us. We can stand on God’s word in faith, believing that he will help us do the impossible because he is the God of the impossible! With God’s Spirit living in us (1 Corinthians 6:19), we can stand confidently knowing that God is with us. Isaiah 41:10 NKJV says, “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
If we’re trying to break sex addiction, we can take courage that the Holy Spirit will empower us to put our lustful deeds of the flesh to death (Romans 8:11,13). We need not make excuses like Gideon did, saying, “I’m weak” or “I’m beyond forgiveness I‘ve sinned so much” or “the temptations I face are too powerful for me.” We can take a faith boost from Gideon. If he could single-handedly defeat a nation with the Lord, in Christ you can gain victory over whatever holds you.
Questions for further thought:
In what ways can you relate to Gideon?
Jeremiah 29:11-14 is often cited to affirm that God has good plans for our lives. Do you believe that God has good plans for your life?
What excuses are you making for continuing in bad habits?
How does the fact that the Holy Spirit lives in you affect the credibility of your excuses?
Prayer:
“Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to live in me and strengthen me to face any situation in life. Lord, I confess that I have tolerated sinful habits in my life; specifically, that I have _______________(list as applicable). Lord, please forgive me and cleanse from these sins. I turn from them now. I want to live for you, Lord, each day. Please strengthen my conviction not to sin against you. Please fill me afresh with your power to live in righteousness. Thank you, Father! I praise you! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”