May 13-Meditating on God’s Word
Here is the passage for the week:
Judges 7:2-8, The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ 3 Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. 4 But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” 5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” 6 Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. 7The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
Praying the Word: “Lord God, we don’t fully grasp how sovereign You are above and over all things. We fail to see Your majesty and power in all of its glorious wonder. Our worship is often limited by the small view we have of You. Yet, as You did with Gideon, You continue to work to expand our minds and hearts to see Your greatness! We think we have a numbers problem when we don’t think we have enough, but You remind us that we always have enough with You. Whenever we feel outnumbered or overwhelmed, You reveal once again that You are greater. Today, we choose to put our trust in You as we go out and face what today may bring. Amen.”
May 14-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 7:2, The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’
Observe what it is saying.
My fear would have been that I didn’t have enough warriors to go up against the massive Midianite army. God agrees that Gideon has a numbers problem but in the opposite direction. He has too many. It’s a good thing Gideon has asked for confirmation time and time again that God was calling him to this task because he’s going to need it. God wanted to make sure that Israel wouldn’t have the opportunity to boast that they had won the victory. God had promised He was with them, and He would do it. All praise and glory should go to Him alone.
Relate it to your life.
God is deserving of all praise for He is the One who works for His great purposes.
Do something.
“Lord Jesus, may I refuse to bring attention to myself when all glory goes to You. Amen.”
May 15-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 7:3, Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
Observe what it is saying.
Wow! Two-thirds of the army were sent home because they were fearful. Gideon didn’t have much of an army if that many were afraid. I wonder what Gideon was thinking now. Just as God had graciously been working with Gideon through his ongoing fears so God’s compassion was extended to the men who were called upon to go into battle. It’s comforting to know that God understands and works with us in the midst of our fears. I haven’t counted myself, but it’s been said that the Bible records 365 times, “Don’t be afraid.” That’s one for each day of the year indicating that fear is a common feeling, and God has us covered throughout the year!
Relate it to your life.
God understands our tendency to fear and speaks His word of courage into our lives.
Do something.
“Jesus, when fear comes, help me to remember that with You, I don’t need to be afraid. Amen.”
May 16-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 7:4, But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
Observe what it is saying.
Gideon must have thought that God was being absolutely ridiculous! Gideon just lost two-thirds of his army, and God says he still has too many men. How can that be? The odds were terrible before God started diminishing the army, but now it’s beyond belief what He wants to do. It may look different to different people and situations, but God has a habit of calling us far beyond ourselves in faith to put all of our trust in Him to handle those circumstances that are out of our control. When God calls you, saddle up for the great adventure God has for you!
Relate it to your life.
God wants to reveal His glory through your story.
Do something.
“Jesus, keep me trusting in You as You take me further than I ever thought I could go. Amen.”
May 17-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 7:5-6, So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
Observe what it is saying.
What a test! Many wonder why this exercise was used. Some say those who drank from their cupped hands kept their eyes up so they could see what was going on around them. This would make them alert warriors. Others say, that lapping like a dog showed how lowly these men were because dogs are not considered a positive image in Scripture. Whatever the reason, God used this as a means to drastically dwindle the number of soldiers. We may not always know why God is doing what He’s doing, but we can fully trust He has a purpose in doing so.
Relate it to your life.
God’s methods may not make sense at the time, but His plan will become evident.
Do something.
“Jesus, give me faith to keep trusting the process even when Your purpose isn’t clear. Amen.”
May 18-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 7:7-8, The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
Observe what it is saying.
Gideon obediently did what the Lord asked. Even though this was a drastic reduction of resources, he trusted God could do what He said He would. In our journey with God, there comes a point where the evidence of God’s word and presence is sufficient to address our doubts and fears, and we fully surrender to His will. God’s call may be viewed as a tall task, but we can go all in with the full assurance God is already there waiting for us to go with Him.
Relate it to your life.
God’s call is matched with His ability to accomplish His will through what is being asked of me.
Do something.
“Jesus, because I trust You, I’m all in to be Your disciple. Amen.”
Here is the passage for the week:
Judges 7:2-8, The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ 3 Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. 4 But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” 5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” 6 Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. 7The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
Praying the Word: “Lord God, we don’t fully grasp how sovereign You are above and over all things. We fail to see Your majesty and power in all of its glorious wonder. Our worship is often limited by the small view we have of You. Yet, as You did with Gideon, You continue to work to expand our minds and hearts to see Your greatness! We think we have a numbers problem when we don’t think we have enough, but You remind us that we always have enough with You. Whenever we feel outnumbered or overwhelmed, You reveal once again that You are greater. Today, we choose to put our trust in You as we go out and face what today may bring. Amen.”
May 14-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 7:2, The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’
Observe what it is saying.
My fear would have been that I didn’t have enough warriors to go up against the massive Midianite army. God agrees that Gideon has a numbers problem but in the opposite direction. He has too many. It’s a good thing Gideon has asked for confirmation time and time again that God was calling him to this task because he’s going to need it. God wanted to make sure that Israel wouldn’t have the opportunity to boast that they had won the victory. God had promised He was with them, and He would do it. All praise and glory should go to Him alone.
Relate it to your life.
God is deserving of all praise for He is the One who works for His great purposes.
Do something.
“Lord Jesus, may I refuse to bring attention to myself when all glory goes to You. Amen.”
May 15-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 7:3, Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
Observe what it is saying.
Wow! Two-thirds of the army were sent home because they were fearful. Gideon didn’t have much of an army if that many were afraid. I wonder what Gideon was thinking now. Just as God had graciously been working with Gideon through his ongoing fears so God’s compassion was extended to the men who were called upon to go into battle. It’s comforting to know that God understands and works with us in the midst of our fears. I haven’t counted myself, but it’s been said that the Bible records 365 times, “Don’t be afraid.” That’s one for each day of the year indicating that fear is a common feeling, and God has us covered throughout the year!
Relate it to your life.
God understands our tendency to fear and speaks His word of courage into our lives.
Do something.
“Jesus, when fear comes, help me to remember that with You, I don’t need to be afraid. Amen.”
May 16-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 7:4, But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
Observe what it is saying.
Gideon must have thought that God was being absolutely ridiculous! Gideon just lost two-thirds of his army, and God says he still has too many men. How can that be? The odds were terrible before God started diminishing the army, but now it’s beyond belief what He wants to do. It may look different to different people and situations, but God has a habit of calling us far beyond ourselves in faith to put all of our trust in Him to handle those circumstances that are out of our control. When God calls you, saddle up for the great adventure God has for you!
Relate it to your life.
God wants to reveal His glory through your story.
Do something.
“Jesus, keep me trusting in You as You take me further than I ever thought I could go. Amen.”
May 17-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 7:5-6, So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
Observe what it is saying.
What a test! Many wonder why this exercise was used. Some say those who drank from their cupped hands kept their eyes up so they could see what was going on around them. This would make them alert warriors. Others say, that lapping like a dog showed how lowly these men were because dogs are not considered a positive image in Scripture. Whatever the reason, God used this as a means to drastically dwindle the number of soldiers. We may not always know why God is doing what He’s doing, but we can fully trust He has a purpose in doing so.
Relate it to your life.
God’s methods may not make sense at the time, but His plan will become evident.
Do something.
“Jesus, give me faith to keep trusting the process even when Your purpose isn’t clear. Amen.”
May 18-Meditating on God’s Word
Write out the Scripture.
Judges 7:7-8, The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
Observe what it is saying.
Gideon obediently did what the Lord asked. Even though this was a drastic reduction of resources, he trusted God could do what He said He would. In our journey with God, there comes a point where the evidence of God’s word and presence is sufficient to address our doubts and fears, and we fully surrender to His will. God’s call may be viewed as a tall task, but we can go all in with the full assurance God is already there waiting for us to go with Him.
Relate it to your life.
God’s call is matched with His ability to accomplish His will through what is being asked of me.
Do something.
“Jesus, because I trust You, I’m all in to be Your disciple. Amen.”
Posted in Daily Devotionals