Today’s weather report from heaven: Sunny and bright with an abundance of light, and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Scripture- “Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 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.’ 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. 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.” 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. 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.” Judges 7:1-7
Insight: I’ll be very honest, there have been times lately when the odds seem so stacked against God, against our Country and even against me in so many ways that I can easily find myself discouraged. When nothing goes right in our careers, with our health, with our Country’s seemingly endless slide into the immoral abyss, and even when the deceptive, corrupt forces of the media seem to be mocking God through their cultural rejection of Him in a blatant way. Men calling themselves women, and vice versa is a direct affront to the Creationist God who makes each of us in His own image, male and female He makes us as Genesis 1:27 tells us. The media narrative follow the “science” around constantly changing and unproven scientific ideas about managing the Corvid-19 Pandemic is bad enough, but then openly rejecting the 100% scientifically DNA proven fact about our God given gender identity, causing incredible pain and harm to those children who are being told that their sexual identity is somehow tied to an emotional feeling is destructive and it’s downright appalling and offensive to God. It can and does appear at times that media fueled cultural rejection mob is openly mocking God. But make no mistake as Galatians 6:7-8 says, God will always get the last word; “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
During these difficult times, it is hopeful to be able to go to Scripture to find the stories that help us to change our focus from our perceptions to God’s past deliverance of His people. Frankly put, God loves it when the odds are so stacked against Him and His people. In many ways, it appears to be a requirement prior to Him acting in a mighty way that totally changes everything and leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind who is responsible for the victory. God uses people, but God gets all the glory! That is how it has always worked and will always work. Can you imagine the conversation between God and Gideon in real time? Maybe something like this: Gideon, you have way too many men. You must whittle your army down to 300 from 32,000. Incredible. Can you imagine how Gideon was feeling? What God are you doing? Are you crazy? We have no chance. Oh yes Gideon, we do. Because me and anybody with obedience = a majority. I have never lost a battle, and I won’t start now.
Likewise, Moses looked foolish and with no chance of successfully leading the Israelites out of Egypt when he came face to face with the Red Sea in front of him and the Egyptian army behind him. But look at what God did. Exodus 14: 4 lays the plan out from God’s perspective: “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” Now, after Israel was allowed to pass through the Red Sea on dry ground, and Pharaoh and the Egyptian Army were all drowned in the Sea, ( Exodus 14:15-15:24 ), there is no doubt that the God of Israel was the One true God!
We can see the same pattern with Daniel and his 3 buddies in the Lion’s Den, when God used their faith to prove to King Nebuchadnezzar who was the One with true power. Also, in the Book Of Esther where Haman was setting up poles to impale all the Jews because of his hatred for Mordecai’s lack of respect, only to find out that those very same poles would be used for his own execution. God had turned the tables in the last instance to save His people again.
There are many other examples in the Bible where God hears the cries of His people, and He knows the distress of the righteous anger His followers feel during times of moral decay like we are living in today. He always has throughout History. Psalm 145:18-20 says “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.” This gives me great hope that God is preparing a great revival in our Country, at just the right time and when the odds seem most stacked against Him and His followers. He wouldn’t want it any other way. Our job is to intercede in prayer as happened for Israel in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Please Lord, forgive our sins and heal our land. Turn it all around, so that Your goodness will be seen in the land of the living.
Prayer: God, we need You more than ever. I can never forget that You are in complete control and “your ways are so much higher than our ways” as Isaiah 55:8 says. Use those who love you to bring a revival, through compassion and love, and bring us back to what made us great as a Nation, which was a full reliance and dependence on You Lord. Amen!
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