April 29-Meditating on God’s Word
Here is the passage for the week:
Judges 6:27-32, So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. 28In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! 29 They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.” 30 The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.” 31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” 32 So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.”
Praying the Word: “Lord God, when Gideon received the command to tear down the altars of Baal and to erect a new altar to You, the true God, he did what You told him. Instill in me such courage to do the difficult, even if it causes me to fear. May I be known as one who listens, obeys, and does great good for Your kingdom all for Your glory. I have considered the cost of being a disciple-maker and am willing to take the heat as Gideon did to be faithful and fruitful in my service to You. I will trust You with the results of my obedience. I understand there’s no better place to be found than in the very center of Your will each moment of each day. Amen.”
April 30-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 6:27, So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.
Observe what it is saying.
Gideon practiced simple obedience. The Lord told him what to do, and Gideon did it. He recruited help in doing so because it evidently was a large undertaking. Though he was fully obedient, he still had fear in doing so. So, he did the act at night hoping no one would discover who had done it. It’s insightful that God didn’t give him the details of who to use or when to do it so he did it on his own time and way. There was no judgment pronounced for the timing of this action. Because God’s assignments are larger than us, it’s not surprising fear will be involved.
Relate it to your life.
By faith, we face our fears and choose obedience to God.
Do something.
“Lord Jesus, give me courage to be obedient to Your call even in the midst of my fear. Amen.”
May 1-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 6:28-29, In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! 29 They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
Observe what it is saying.
What a surprise was awaiting the town the next morning! Gideon and his men accomplished much overnight by tearing down the old and building a brand-new altar. How did they find out who did it? Did one of the ten give up Gideon? We know how difficult it is for a secret to be kept. Of course, it was never meant to be kept hidden. It was part of the plan to unveil Gideon as the leader. This is a good reminder that what we’re called to do doesn’t turn out so well, it’s not the end of the story. God is always working in and through us for His plan to be accomplished.
Relate it to your life.
God uses our whole experience for His holy purposes.
Do something.
“Jesus, when things don’t go as planned, help me to stay the course and keep trusting. Amen.”
May 2-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 6:30, The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
Observe what it is saying.
This reveals how far gone these Israelites were spiritually. God had instructed Moses to tell the people when they entered the Promised Land to destroy all the altars to the Baals. They were to rid the land of the vile idolatry and the ensuing immorality that came from worshiping such evil. However, now the people wanted Gideon dead for doing the very thing that the whole nation was supposed to be in sync about- worshiping Yahweh. They were calling evil good and good evil. The people of God were in full rebellion. This is what happens when followers abandon the worship of the God of the universe who incarnated Himself in Jesus and fills us with His Spirit.
Relate it to your life.
When our worship is wrong, everything in our lives becomes out of sync and out of step.
Do something.
“Jesus, keep my worship pure, focused only on Your holy and loving nature. Amen.”
May 3-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 6:31, But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.”
Observe what it is saying.
Joash, Gideon’s dad, was spiritually awakened when the town threatened to kill his son. When life comes close to home, it’s rather amazing how our perspective can change so radically and quickly. From worshiping Baal to now questioning Baal’s authenticity, Joash has come to his son’s defense. It appears he was convicted and awakened to the absolute foolishness of his idolatry saying, if Baal is a real he can surely defend himself. Joash was humble enough to recognize the errors of his way. We may get off course by chasing other priorities than loving God with our whole hearts, but our response to misplaced worship reveals our heart’s condition.
Relate it to your life.
Our spiritual condition is reflected by our response when being convicted of wrong worship.
Do something.
“Jesus, keep me humble to respond to the Spirit’s convicting presence when I go astray. Amen.”
May 4-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 6:32, So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.”
Observe what it is saying.
The name they gave Gideon may was one revealing their hope that Baal would fight Gideon and pay him back for what he had done to his altar. However, over time, when Baal did nothing because Baal is nothing, then it must have become a name of honor. Previously, the angel told the fearful and hiding Gideon that he was a mighty warrior. Now, he is given this new name as a result of his obedience to destroy the false worship in his town. Though he still battles fear, he’s becoming obedient and is stepping into the vision God had for him to be a mighty warrior.
Relate it to your life.
Our walk with the Lord is a daily adventure trusting God’s word and call to be our true selves.
Do something.
“Jesus, may the vision You have for me be increasingly lived out through trusting You. Amen.”
Here is the passage for the week:
Judges 6:27-32, So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime. 28In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! 29 They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.” 30 The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.” 31 But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” 32 So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.”
Praying the Word: “Lord God, when Gideon received the command to tear down the altars of Baal and to erect a new altar to You, the true God, he did what You told him. Instill in me such courage to do the difficult, even if it causes me to fear. May I be known as one who listens, obeys, and does great good for Your kingdom all for Your glory. I have considered the cost of being a disciple-maker and am willing to take the heat as Gideon did to be faithful and fruitful in my service to You. I will trust You with the results of my obedience. I understand there’s no better place to be found than in the very center of Your will each moment of each day. Amen.”
April 30-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 6:27, So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.
Observe what it is saying.
Gideon practiced simple obedience. The Lord told him what to do, and Gideon did it. He recruited help in doing so because it evidently was a large undertaking. Though he was fully obedient, he still had fear in doing so. So, he did the act at night hoping no one would discover who had done it. It’s insightful that God didn’t give him the details of who to use or when to do it so he did it on his own time and way. There was no judgment pronounced for the timing of this action. Because God’s assignments are larger than us, it’s not surprising fear will be involved.
Relate it to your life.
By faith, we face our fears and choose obedience to God.
Do something.
“Lord Jesus, give me courage to be obedient to Your call even in the midst of my fear. Amen.”
May 1-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 6:28-29, In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar! 29 They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
Observe what it is saying.
What a surprise was awaiting the town the next morning! Gideon and his men accomplished much overnight by tearing down the old and building a brand-new altar. How did they find out who did it? Did one of the ten give up Gideon? We know how difficult it is for a secret to be kept. Of course, it was never meant to be kept hidden. It was part of the plan to unveil Gideon as the leader. This is a good reminder that what we’re called to do doesn’t turn out so well, it’s not the end of the story. God is always working in and through us for His plan to be accomplished.
Relate it to your life.
God uses our whole experience for His holy purposes.
Do something.
“Jesus, when things don’t go as planned, help me to stay the course and keep trusting. Amen.”
May 2-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 6:30, The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
Observe what it is saying.
This reveals how far gone these Israelites were spiritually. God had instructed Moses to tell the people when they entered the Promised Land to destroy all the altars to the Baals. They were to rid the land of the vile idolatry and the ensuing immorality that came from worshiping such evil. However, now the people wanted Gideon dead for doing the very thing that the whole nation was supposed to be in sync about- worshiping Yahweh. They were calling evil good and good evil. The people of God were in full rebellion. This is what happens when followers abandon the worship of the God of the universe who incarnated Himself in Jesus and fills us with His Spirit.
Relate it to your life.
When our worship is wrong, everything in our lives becomes out of sync and out of step.
Do something.
“Jesus, keep my worship pure, focused only on Your holy and loving nature. Amen.”
May 3-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 6:31, But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.”
Observe what it is saying.
Joash, Gideon’s dad, was spiritually awakened when the town threatened to kill his son. When life comes close to home, it’s rather amazing how our perspective can change so radically and quickly. From worshiping Baal to now questioning Baal’s authenticity, Joash has come to his son’s defense. It appears he was convicted and awakened to the absolute foolishness of his idolatry saying, if Baal is a real he can surely defend himself. Joash was humble enough to recognize the errors of his way. We may get off course by chasing other priorities than loving God with our whole hearts, but our response to misplaced worship reveals our heart’s condition.
Relate it to your life.
Our spiritual condition is reflected by our response when being convicted of wrong worship.
Do something.
“Jesus, keep me humble to respond to the Spirit’s convicting presence when I go astray. Amen.”
May 4-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 6:32, So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.”
Observe what it is saying.
The name they gave Gideon may was one revealing their hope that Baal would fight Gideon and pay him back for what he had done to his altar. However, over time, when Baal did nothing because Baal is nothing, then it must have become a name of honor. Previously, the angel told the fearful and hiding Gideon that he was a mighty warrior. Now, he is given this new name as a result of his obedience to destroy the false worship in his town. Though he still battles fear, he’s becoming obedient and is stepping into the vision God had for him to be a mighty warrior.
Relate it to your life.
Our walk with the Lord is a daily adventure trusting God’s word and call to be our true selves.
Do something.
“Jesus, may the vision You have for me be increasingly lived out through trusting You. Amen.”
Posted in Daily Devotionals