Week 2- Day 6- Commissioning Gideon

Happy Monday Ladies!

After last week, I was very much looking forward to this Monday! Thank you for all of your prayers and kind words.

I just finished viewing the video for this week. If you have the opportunity to download this weeks video from the LifeWay website it will be well worth it. Below are the words for the blanks on the viewer guide. 

Distinguishing Characteristics of the Midianites:

You know you are dealing with the Midianites when the trouble is coming from the most unexpected place.

You know you are dealing with the Midianites because just when you get your head above water, that problem resurfaces again.

We each have Midianites in our lives. They may be difficult marriage, difficult family relationships, work, etc. 
 
What Should You Expect When You Are Expecting?

1. The crisis is not powerful enough to place you out of the reach of God.

Isaiah 59:1
Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.

Where ever you are, the Lord will come to you. He is omnipresent. 

2. The crisis does position you for your calling.

Judges 6:12-13
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, " The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." 13 "Pardon me, my Lord," Gideon replied, "but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, 'Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian."

 How about that? Isn't that just like us? The angel of the Lord is looking right at Gideon and saying 'The Lord is with YOU." The angel came to Gideon, He was with Gideon...not the rest of His people. God's plan was to use Gideon to do kingdom work and Gideon was asking about the bigger picture. Although God has the power to do anything, even huge things, He chooses to start His work small sometimes. But always realize that He has reasons for why He does what He does. Our job is to trust in Him, not ask why. 

God is more interested in changing your heart than He is your circumstances.

Luke 19:17
"Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trust worthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'

Once you are diligent in the small things the Lord will bless you with more responsibility.

Hebrews 11:32-34
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.

Wow! So Gideon started out a very timid, simple, fearful, insecure guy and because he opened the eyes of his heart to the angel of the Lord and His calling on his life Gideon accomplished great things for the Kingdom of God. Amazing!

Judges 6:12
When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said,"The Lord is with you, Mighty Warrior."

At that time Gideon was anything but a mighty warrior. But the Lord knew that He had it in him to do the Lords work. Gideon did do the Lords work and through faith he conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised!

Let that right there encourage us all to show up and do what the Lord calls us to do!

No matter how you feel, what the scripture says about you is true.

1 Peter 2:9
⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

3. Your crisis does not dictate your capabilities.

Judges 6:11-14

 ¹¹ The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a wine press to keep it from the Midianites. ¹² When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
¹³ “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
¹⁴ The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

  
Look at the beginning of each verse. 

The angel of the Lord came (v.11), appeared (v.12), looked (v.14)


Today's lesson moves forward with the message that God does not always come to us with trumpets blaring and a thunderous light show. Ordinary is often the disguise of the divine. God is found in our everyday. He is there, we just need to open our eyes to Him. For us to be used by God we need to be sensitive to His presence and then His purpose.

Do not let the ordinary day go past you without noticing God. 

I leave you with this. Knowing God requires us to read the scripture. Doing this allows us to understand His nature. Therefor when He comes to us and leads us to do His work, we will not question why. We will just trust and do it. There is no way to know God without having faith in God.

I love you ladies and I am thankful for a new week. See you tomorrow!

~Randi