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Judges 6:12-13 – The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” 13 Then Gideon 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 abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
Gideon was anything but valiant at this time. In fact, he was just the opposite. He is hiding from the Midianites as he is threshing the wheat. You wouldn't expect a valiant person to be hiding. The Lord tells him to tear down his father's idols and because he was afraid he does it at night so that he can't be seen. Does that sound like a valiant man to you?
When something has happened to you or is happening to you now that you don't understand be patient. Give God time to complete His plan. Gideon didn't understand why God had allowed the Midianites to conquer the Israelites and not just once but on numerous occasions. The Israelites were living in fear at this moment of the Midianites.
What is your Midianite? What keeps barging into your life and kicking down your strongholds? The angel of the Lord tells Gideon God has allowed this to happen so He can use Gideon in a mighty way. There is the answer to our question, "Why has all of this happened?" It has happened so God can use Gideon in a mighty way. Whatever you're being challenged with today and you're not sure why God is allowing it to happen to you try thinking this way. God is going to use you to conquer your situation in a mighty way.
Excuses are the first things to come out of Gideon's mouth as to why God is wrong. What excuses do you use when telling God you are not ready for your trial? Are you too old? Do you lack education? You are financially not able? Your spouse will kill you? Yes, too many times we are just like Gideon. God wants to use us and we want to give Him excuses. Whatever test God is allowing to happen to you right now know this: If God brings you to it, God will get you through it. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be Still and Know That I am God." In other words, He wants us to relax and trust Him no matter what situation challenges us.
Now what are you waiting for, stand up and tell God you are ready to be used by Him in a "mighty way". Let's go conquer our own modern-day Midianites. Think About This: When we let God guide He will provide. Whatever God wants us to do, He will help us do it. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word
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Daniel 10:12-13 - Then he said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia." NASU
When we pray it would behoove us to remember our prayers were heard and the answer is on the way, but there is a spiritual war going on between God and the devil. The devil tries to inhibit our prayers from being answered. The devil is hoping we will believe God doesn't care about us. Nothing could be further from the truth. God cares about us and we must never forget that truth no matter how hard the evil one tries to deceive us.
The apostle Paul informs us about the spiritual war which is going on that we cannot see: Ephesians 6:11-14- Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH… Notice where this fight is taking place, it is taking place in the heavenly places, exactly where Gabriel was fighting the prince of Persia and his help comes from the archangel Michael. You will also notice the very first piece of the Armor of God we are to put on is TRUTH. It is my belief there is a prince of the USA and he fights God's angel when they are on their way to answer our prayers. So don't give up on your prayers and in my beliefs it doesn't hurt to pray for the angel who is bringing the answer to our prayers since we know he may have to fight to get here with the answer.
The devil was trying desperately to get Daniel to lose faith in God, but it never happened. The devil will try to get us to lose faith in God. I implore you not to let this happen. As Paul says, we are to stand firm. 1 Corinthians 1:9 - God is faithful… Paul doesn't lie, God is Faithful my friends. Think About These: The tragedy of our day is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer. When life knocks you to your knees, you are in the perfect position to pray. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word I Kings 19:2-4 - Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.
1. He is forgetting what God has done with him. 2. He believes Jezebel, a liar. Elijah had displayed great faith in God and defeated 450 false prophets of Baal. He challenged them to pray to their god and he would pray to his God. The God who sent down fire from heaven and consumed the sacrifice would be the true God to be worshipped. Baal failed to answer his 450 prophets, because Baal is not a real god. Yet, the God of heaven and earth did NOT fail to answer his one prophet Elijah. Yet, when it was really important Elijah forgets what God has done.
Elijah has just defeated these false prophets. Their god Baal was useless to them but Elijah's God was not useless. He was the true God. We don't worship Baal. He is useless. We worship and serve the only true God. How can we forget so quickly what He has done for us?
He could've said, "What happened to your 450 false prophets is now going to happen to you." What lie is the devil telling you now that you believe?
If your faith is being tested don't run because you are afraid as Elijah did. Stand your ground! God will reward your faith.
Romans 8:11 - But if the Spirit of Him (God) who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. We can not beat this promise from God. You die in Christ and you will come alive by God's Spirit. Think On This: Anyone in the world can give up; it is the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else in the world would understand if you quit, that is true courage. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Exodus 3:7 - The LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. NASU
What James is telling us is God, our Heavenly Father, doesn't change. He isn't one way today and changes tomorrow. There is "no variation" with God. He is dependable. We can trust Him. This is also true of Jesus, the Son of God, as the apostle Paul tells us in the book of Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. I have been asked to preach at the congregation where Barbara and I worship in May. The message I am going to share is about what it means to have Jesus in your boat (or life) from Luke 8:22f. One of my take away points is this with Jesus in your boat be prepared for storms. His disciples came to Him and said, "Master, Master, we are perishing." Some of these men were fishermen. They made their living on the Sea of Galilee. How many storms do you think they had previously encountered? Yet, this time they tell Him we are about to die. It had to have been a very difficult storm for them to believe they were all going to die.
I guarantee it. God not only sees your sufferings, but He is the One who will never forsake you. He saw the sufferings of the Israelites and He sees yours. He is the One you want to turn to in times of trouble. He is the One who sees what we are going through, hears our prayers, and answers them. God is Faithful and we must remain faithful to Him. Think About This: Faith helps us face the music, even when we don't like the tune. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word |
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