Bible League: Living His Word Then the LORD said to Gideon, "I am going to help your men defeat the Midianites, but you have too many men. I don't want the Israelites to forget me and brag that they saved themselves."Gideon had been called by God to attack the Midianites who were preparing to raid and sack the land of Israel. The Midianites had 135,000 men, but Gideon had only 32,000 men. Gideon no doubt thought he had too few men, but God told him that he had too many. The Israelites had cried out to the Lord for deliverance from the Midianites (Judges 6:6-7) and the Lord determined to make it plain to them that it was He that was going to save them. Thus, He had Gideon reduce his force to a mere 300 men. It is part and parcel of the sinful, fallen nature of humankind to take credit for any success it has in life. Instead of giving the praise and the glory to God, we give the praise and the glory to ourselves. Given this prideful feature of fallen humanity, the Lord must remind us on a regular basis just who we are. One example of this can be found in Isaiah 10:15, "Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it? As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up, or a club brandish the one who is not wood!" (Isaiah 10:15). Since it is God who is actually in control of all things, it is the height of prideful foolishness to fail to realize this. Although we may cry out to the Lord for deliverance like the Israelites did, our prideful foolishness may still cause us to take credit for any deliverance we may receive after it has been gained. The Lord's oft implemented practice of making it plain to us that this is not the case, consequently, is an essential part of the mercy and grace He extends to us in our time of need. It is to our benefit to realize that it is the Lord alone who has delivered us. It is to our benefit to have our pride and foolishness taken down a notch. When you cry out to the Lord for your deliverance, then, don't be surprised if it comes in a way that makes it plain He got it for you. Bible in a Year Old Testament Reading2 Chronicles 29, 30, 31 2 Chronicles 29 -- Hezekiah's Good Reign; Temple Worship Restored NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 2 Chronicles 30 -- Hezekiah Invites All Israel to the Passover NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 2 Chronicles 31 -- Idolatry Destroyed; Contributions for Worship NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading John 18:1-23 John 18 -- Judas Betrays Jesus; Peter Denies Him; Jesus Questioned by Annas and Pilate NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,' or ‘Stand up and walk'? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”Insight It's easy to tell someone his sins are forgiven; it's a lot more difficult to reverse a case of paralysis! Jesus backed up his words by healing the man's legs. Jesus' action showed that his words were true; he had the power to forgive as well as to heal. Talk is cheap, but our words lack meaning if our actions do not back them up. Challenge We can say we love God or others, but if we are not taking practical steps to demonstrate that love, our words are empty and meaningless. How well do your actions back up what you say? Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 126:3 The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.Some Christians are sadly prone to look on the dark side of everything, and to dwell more upon what they have gone through than upon what God has done for them. Ask for their impression of the Christian life, and they will describe their continual conflicts, their deep afflictions, their sad adversities, and the sinfulness of their hearts, yet with scarcely any allusion to the mercy and help which God has vouchsafed them. But a Christian whose soul is in a healthy state, will come forward joyously, and say, "I will speak, not about myself, but to the honor of my God. He hath brought me up out of an horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings: and he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. The Lord hath done great things for me, whereof I am glad." Such an abstract of experience as this is the very best that any child of God can present. It is true that we endure trials, but it is just as true that we are delivered out of them. It is true that we have our corruptions, and mournfully do we know this, but it is quite as true that we have an all-sufficient Saviour, who overcomes these corruptions, and delivers us from their dominion. In looking back, it would be wrong to deny that we have been in the Slough of Despond, and have crept along the Valley of Humiliation, but it would be equally wicked to forget that we have been through them safely and profitably; we have not remained in them, thanks to our Almighty Helper and Leader, who has brought us "out into a wealthy place." The deeper our troubles, the louder our thanks to God, who has led us through all, and preserved us until now. Our griefs cannot mar the melody of our praise, we reckon them to be the bass part of our life's song, "He hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad." Daily Light on the Daily Path John 7:46 The officers answered, "Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks."Psalm 45:2 You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed You forever. Isaiah 50:4 The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. Luke 4:22 And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, "Is this not Joseph's son?" Matthew 7:29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Ephesians 6:17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 2 Corinthians 10:4,5 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. • We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
Click for Video Devotionals     |