Devotional

Jdg 7:2, And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, LEST ISRAEL CLAIM GLORY FOR ITSELF AGAINST ME, SAYING, ‘MY OWN HAND HAS SAVED ME.’ 

32,000 men were with Gideon, but the LORD reduced it to 300 men vs 135,000! THE LORD WANTED IT TO BE KNOWN BY ALL, THIS IS THE WORK OF HIM AND NOT OF MAN! NO MAN CAN TAKE CREDIT FOR WHAT CLEARLY IS IMPOSSIBLE ODDS! 

Luk 18:27, BUT HE SAID, “THE THINGS WHICH ARE IMPOSSIBLE WITH MEN ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD”.

EVEN WITH JUST A FEW IN THE HANDS OF THE LORD CAN TAKE THE WORLD BY STORM! HE USED ONLY 12 MEN TO PREACH TO THE WORLD AND ALMOST 2000 YEARDS LATER HIS WORD IS STILL HERE DOING WHAT HE INTENDED IT TO DO!

Isa 55:11, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. 

Zec 4:6, …NOT BY MIGHT NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS.

Psa 20:7, Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 

WHO DO YOU TRUST IN, THE STRENGTH OF MANY MEN OR THE STRENGTH OF THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!

Jdg 6:1, Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years,

Jdg 6:7, … when the children of ISRAEL CRIED OUT TO THE LORD because of the Midianites, 

God sent a prophet who said to them “I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, BUT YOU HAVE NOT OBEYED MY VOICE” VERSE 10

Jdg 6:12-13, And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him (Gideon), and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about…

Gideon knew the stories of the miracles done by the LORD just like us today! We have heard the miracles of JESUS But we don’t see many miracles today! THE LORD HASN’T FORSAKEN US AS WE MAY BELIEVE, BUT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE WAITING FOR US TO CALL UPON HIM! LEAVE YOUR SIN AND SEEK THE LORD. CALL UPON HIM DAILY AND TRUST IN HIM! WHAT IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH MAN IS POSSIBLE WITH GOD! SEEK HIM DILIGENTLY AND YOU SHALL FIND HIM! Pro 8:17.

Mar 9:23, JESUS SAID TO HIM, “IF YOU CAN BELIEVE, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM WHO BELIEVES.” 

A song of Deliverance, a song describing what happened, who helped, who didn’t help, & how the LORD gave Israel rest from tyranny!

The Tyrant Sisera had a strong army with 900 chariots of iron, YET THE LORD CAUSED IT TO RAIN MAKING THEIR CHARIOTS SINK INTO THE MUD! VERSE 5 & 20-21

Those who helped were Ephraim, Benjamin, Zebulun, Issachar and Naphtali!  THERE WERE GREAT RESOLVES OF HEART. AND THOSE THAT STAYED HOME WERE, Rueben, Dan, Asher (verses 13-18)

Jdg 5:24-25, “MOST BLESSED AMONG WOMEN is JAEL… BLESSED IS SHE AMONG WOMEN IN TENTS. HE ASKED FOR WATER, SHE GAVE MILK; SHE BROUGHT OUT CREAM IN A LORDLY BOWL….

It was the obligation to protect a guest in your home in that region, YET SHE MADE HIM FEEL WELCOMED, OFFERED MILK INSTEAD OF WATER, BROUGHT OUT CREAM FOR HIS DELIGHT! THEN SHE DROVE A STAKE THROUGH HIS TEMPLE AS HE SLEPT!

Jas 2:13, FOR JUDGMENT IS WITHOUT MERCY TO THE ONE WHO HAS SHOWN NO MERCY…

YOUR EITHER IN THE BATTLE OR SITTING ON THE SIDELINES, BUT THE LORD IS GOING TO DO THE WORK WITH OR WITHOUT YOU!

Jdg 4:3, And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD; FOR JABIN HAD NINE HUNDRED CHARIOTS OF IRON, and for twenty years he had harshly oppressed the children of Israel. 

Deborah, a prophetess call for Barak to go and fight against Sisera! There enemies had was more technologically advanced than Israel for they had 900 iron chariots, fighting in the open plains giving them the advantage!

Jdg 4:7-8, …I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I WILL DELIVER HIM INTO YOUR HAND’?” And BARAK said to her, “IF YOU WILL GO WITH ME, THEN I WILL GO; BUT IF YOU WILL NOT GO WITH ME, I WILL NOT GO!”

Barak, mentioned in Heb 11:32 as a man of Faith, showed some unbelief! He trusted more in her relationship with the LORD than his own! Israel grew stronger and stronger (ver 24) and defeated their enemies! IF YOU TRUST IN THE LORD HE WILL STRENGTHEN YOU AND GIVE YOU THE VICTORY OVER ANYTHING!

Psalm 73:26, MY FLESS AND MY HEART FAIL, BUT GOD IS THE STRENGTH OF MY HEART AND PORTION FOREVER!

IN WEAKNESS TRUST IN HIS STRENGTH!

The people whom Israel didn’t drive out as per the Word of God, He used to test Israel (ver 4)

Jdg 3:7, So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD. THEY FORGOT THE LORD THEIR GOD, and served the Baals & Asherahs. 

ISRAEL CHOOSED TO SERVE OTHER gods RATHER THAN THE ONLY TRUE & LIVING GOD! GOD SOLD ISRAEL INTO THE HAND OF THE king OF MESOPTAMIA! AFTER 8 YEARS ISRAEL CRIED OUT TO THE LORD!

Jdg 3:9-10, …the LORD raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: OTHNIEL THE SON OF KENAZ, CALEB’S YOUNGER BROTHER. THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAME UPON HIM, AND HE JUDGED ISRAEL…

Besides Othniel, He also raised up Ehud and Shamgar as judges! But upon their death Israel departed from serving the LORD only to serve their sin! YOU EITHER SERVE THE LORD OR SERVE YOU SIN! JESUS SAID (MAT 6:24)”NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS”

Jas 4:4, Adulterers and adulteresses! DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD IS ENMITY WITH GOD? WHOEVER THEREFORE WANTS TO BE A FRIEND OF THE WORLD MAKES HIMSELF AN ENEMY OF GOD. 

IT’S A CHOICE THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US! DRAW NEAR TO HIM OR YOUR SIN! ONE LEADS TO DEATH WHILE THE OTHER LEADS TO LIFE! THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

Jdg 2:2, And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. WHY HAVE YOU DONE THIS? 

Israel partially completed the work of the LORD, but partial compliance is not obedience!

Jdg 2:3, Therefore I also said, ‘I WILL NOT DRIVE THEM OUT BEFORE YOU; BUT THEY SHALL BE THORNS IN YOUR SIDE, AND THEIR GODS SHALL BE A SNARE TO YOU.’ ” 

Joshua warned them, Moses warned them yet they didn’t heed their warnings! Num 33:55

Jdg 2:16, Nevertheless, the LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them.

YET, AFTER THE JUDGE DIED ISRAEL RETURNED TO THEIR EVIL WAYS! Jdg 2:19

THIS BOOK DISPLAYS MANS EVIL HEART; ALWAYS WANTING TO DO WHAT WAS RIGHT IN THEIR OWN HEARTS! IT ALSO SHOWS THE HEART OF THE LORD, HAVING PITY ON MAN! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE FAILED THE LORD, YET HE IS ALWAYS THERE FOR US!

Joe 2:13, So rend your heart, and not your garments; RETURN TO THE LORD YOUR GOD, FOR HE IS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL, SLOW TO ANGER, AND OF GREAT KINDNESS; AND HE RELENTS FROM DOING HARM. 

After the death of Joshua, the LORD wanted Israel to continue the work HE started! The LORD was with them!

Jdg 1:4-5, Then Judah went up, AND THE LORD DELIVERED THE CANAANITES AND THE PERIZZITES INTO THEIR HAND; and they killed ten thousand men at Bezek. And they found Adoni-Bezek in Bezek, and FOUGHT AGAINST HIM; AND THEY DEFEATED THE CANAANITES AND THE PERIZZITES.

Jdg 1:28-29, And it came to pass, WHEN ISRAEL WAS STRONG, that they put the Canaanites under tribute, BUT DID NOT COMPLETELY DRIVE THEM OUT. Nor did Ephraim DRIVE OUT THE CANAANITES WHO DWELT IN GEZER; SO THE CANAANITES DWELT IN GEZER AMONG THEM.

the LORD made Israel strong yet they didn’t complete the work GOD wanted them to do! ISRAEL WAS SATISFIED WITH LESS THAN WHAT GOD WANTED FOR THEM!  IN THE SAME WE ROB OURSELVES BLESSINGS THAT HE WANTS TO GIVE US BECAUSE WE BECOME SATISFIED FAR WITH LESS OF WHAT HE INTENDED!  DON’T BE SATISFIED WITH JUST SERVING, BUT DO THE WORK HE INTENDED YOU TO DO! HE HAS SO MUCH MORE FOR US!

Jer 29:11, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.