Judges
5-8; Hebrews 11:32
Gideon defeats the Midianites
Midianites and Amalekites had swarmed
into the land, in such numbers for seven years that the Israelites sought
refuge in caves and made hidden pits in grain. Gideon, with an army of three
hundred men, armed with torches hidden in pitchers, at Moreh, with the direct
help from God, gave them a terrific victory that they came no more.
Gideon’s original army was made up of the
fearful, the foolish, and the faithful. God sent the fearful and the foolish
home and did His work through the faithful. God can give the victory if we will
trust entirely in Him. Gideon fully followed the plan of God, even when it
meant doing some things that any observer would think crazy. Gideon was asked to
cut his force to less than 1% of his original size. Gideon may have feared the
battle but he did not shirk from his call.
The Psalmist reminds us - “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my
help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
“He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” “The Lord will
watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:1, 2,
4, and 8. Today thank the Lord, for
always being with you. Ask Him to help you trust His plan for your life for He
is the one who wins our victories for us.
God of
love, through Your Son You have commanded us to love one another. By the
guidance of Your Word and Spirit, deliver us from impenitence and teach us the
truth that we might confess our sins, receive Your forgiveness, and be
reconciled to one another; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Schnorr von Carolsfeld Woodcut used with
permission © WELS
Halley’s
Bible Handbook An Abbreviated Bible Commentary Twenty-Third Edition, © 1962
Zondervan Grand Rapids
Collect for reconciliation, Lutheran Service
Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
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