“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
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JUDGES 6-7
11The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
13“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
14The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
15“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
16The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”(6:11-16)LUKE 8:1-21
11“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
JOURNAL
Gideon comes into power and leads Israel out of the predicament with the Midianites. Jesus confirms that it is the heart that really matters.
I absolutely love the story of Gideon...he is a nobody and yet God uses him, chooses him to lead a band of just 300 men to overcome tens of thousands. It is interesting that these two verses get paired together. Jesus' words confirm exactly what we see in Gideon. It is the heart that matters...The seed needs good soil. We must be the good soil to receive God's power and love in a way that produces fruit.
I love that our God is a God of underdogs, I love that he continually uses the least to accomplish the greatest feats. The daily challenge in life is to see and truly understand the incredible opportunity that exists no matter our circumstance. The opportunity to live a life of purpose and joy and to share that life with others. That opportunity exists every single day and each moment of that day. To get caught up in the noise and weeds of life is the greatest threat to that purpose and joy. It all goes back to what is the desire of our hearts. If it is for anything other than obeying God and responding to the world with his power, love and discipline then we will not be the fertile soil and the fruit of the spirit will evade us.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Gideon comes into power and leads Israel out of the predicament with the Midianites. Jesus confirms that it is the heart that really matters.
I absolutely love the story of Gideon...he is a nobody and yet God uses him, chooses him to lead a band of just 300 men to overcome tens of thousands. It is interesting that these two verses get paired together. Jesus' words confirm exactly what we see in Gideon. It is the heart that matters...The seed needs good soil. We must be the good soil to receive God's power and love in a way that produces fruit.
I love that our God is a God of underdogs, I love that he continually uses the least to accomplish the greatest feats. The daily challenge in life is to see and truly understand the incredible opportunity that exists no matter our circumstance. The opportunity to live a life of purpose and joy and to share that life with others. That opportunity exists every single day and each moment of that day. To get caught up in the noise and weeds of life is the greatest threat to that purpose and joy. It all goes back to what is the desire of our hearts. If it is for anything other than obeying God and responding to the world with his power, love and discipline then we will not be the fertile soil and the fruit of the spirit will evade us.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
GALATIANS 5:22-23
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