October 2&4

October 2, 2000 - "Contenders of the Faith" Part XV

Victory Assured

"God's Test for Victory - Part III"

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

(2 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV)

Last week when we looked at Gideon we noticed that he had doubts. He needed reassurance that God would be with him. So God preformed miracles before his eyes to encourage him. Gideon was almost ready to go into battle.

The army had been assembled, thirty thousand strong, and was positioned south of the Midianites, who were in the valley, by Moreh. But now it was time for God to see if Gideon had truly developed faith.

"Gideon, the people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands…let whosoever is fearful and afraid return and depart from thee," and with that twenty two thousand men left. Gulp! I can head Gideon swallow hard.

"Gideon, the people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there." The men came and God tried them. When He was finished, of the ten thousand men, nine thousand seven hundred failed the test. Gideon was left with 300. "By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand." God wasn't finished yet, because he knew that Gideon stilled doubted Him. There were two more tests to come.

That night the LORD said to Gideon, "Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand." Gideon didn't believer. So God told him to go and ask his enemies and he went. He was told of a dream, that a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian and smote it that it fell. Gideon's servant asked for an interpretation. A man said, the barley bread "is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host." When Gideon heard that, he went and worshipped God.

Are we sometimes like Gideon? Do we fail to take God at His word the first time around only to discover at the end, that we should have listen in the first place? Do we constantly need Him to reassure us each step of the way? Let us believe Him! He never fails.

Walk with the Lord today and be a blessing to someone else.

Don't take my word for it. See for yourself: Judges 7:1-14

Tomorrow: The result of trusting in the Lord.

Maranatha - The Lord Is Coming!

October 4, 2000 - "Contenders of the Faith" Part XVI

Victory Assured

Victory: The Result of Trusting in the Lord

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

(1 Corinthians 15:57)

After seeing the offering consumed from a flame that came up out of a rock, a fleece being made wet and dry and finally hearing from his enemies that they were already delivered into his hands, Gideon was now ready for battle.

Men, take your weapons. They're over there. You see those trumpets, those empty pitchers and lamps? Those over there! Those are our weapons. I know what you're thinking, but trust me. Don't even worry, the LORD is with us!

Here is what I want you to do. First, we will divide up into three companies and surround them on three sides. Then take your trumpet in your hand and put the lamp into the pitcher. When we get outside of their camp, do as I do. When I blow the trumpet, you blow your trumpets and say, The sword of the LORD and Gideon. Does everyone understand? Is everyone ready? Let's go.

So off they went into battle; three hundred men strong, against an army whose number was like a field of grasshoppers or the sand by the seaside. They came to the outskirts of the camp according to plan and surrounded it on three sides. They broke their pitchers and held the lamps in their left hand and their trumpets in the right. They blew their trumpets and cried, "The sword of the LORD and Gideon," and what followed would be the mighty powerful hand of God. He would set their enemies against each other to their own destruction.

Oh friends - what a God we serve!

Even in our state of unbelief God is with us. He comes and reassures us when we need it. He never fails to meet the needs that we need most. So even when we can't find the strength to trust, all we need do is ask Him to "help our unbelief." See Mark 9:24. And when our faith is established, He gives us the victory.

Let us walk with the Lord today and be a blessing to someone else.

Don't take my word for it. See for yourself: Judges 7:1-23; Mark 9:24; 1 Cor. 15:57, 2 Cor. 2:14.

Maranatha - The Lord Is Coming!