And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might … : have not I sent thee? Judges 6:14.
To Gideon came the divine call to deliver his people. He was engaged at the time in threshing wheat. A small quantity of grain had been concealed, and not daring to beat it out on the ordinary threshing floor, he had resorted to a spot near the winepress; for the season of ripe grapes being still far off, little notice was now taken of the vineyards. As Gideon labored in secrecy and silence, he sadly pondered upon the condition of Israel and considered how the oppressor’s yoke might be broken from off his people.Suddenly the “Angel of the Lord” appeared and addressed him with the words,“Jehovah is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.”“O my Lord,” was his answer, “if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”The Messenger of heaven replied, “Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?”
Gideon deeply felt his own insufficiency for the great work before him…. The Lord does not always choose for His work men of the greatest talents, but He selects those whom He can best use. Individuals who might do good service for God, may for a time be left in obscurity, apparently unnoticed and unemployed by their Master. But if they faithfully perform the duties of their humble position, cherishing a willingness to labor and to sacrifice for Him, He will in His own time intrust them with greater responsibilities.Before honor is humility. The Lord can use most effectually those who are most sensible of their own unworthiness and inefficiency. He will teach them to exercise the courage of faith. He will make them strong by uniting their weakness to His might, wise by connecting their ignorance with His wisdom.
Conflict and Courage p. 126
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Prayer Requests
—–update—Kyra was found and is back home. Please pray for the family and her as they sort things out. Rose
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Dear Friends,
A few years before she died, my mother gave me the set of bookbinder’s tools that had belonged to my grandfather. They are amongst my most cherished possessions. These tools, which were made of agate, had been cut to fit in a hand press that my grandfather used to make the indentations in the leather as he fitted it around the book. Even though they were used for many decades, the agates showed no sign of wear: they were as smooth and polished as the first day that my grandfather began to use them.
God’s Word is like those bookbinder’s tools. It is unchangeable. It is as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. We can trust in its accuracy. We can rely upon its precepts. As we read it, it molds and shapes us until we reflect Jesus fully. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” David declares, “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” Ps 30:5, 12:6,7
From Genesis to Revelation, our Great Redeemer is revealed. From cover to cover, His great gift of salvation is unfolded. From our Dear Saviour’s first promise in Genesis 3:15, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” to His last recorded promise found in Revelation 22:12, “behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” our Redeemer’s great sacrifice and love for us is unveiled.
The Scrictures reveal the Rock that is Eternal! He promises, “For I am the LORD, I change not.” Mal 3:6 How comforting it is to know that we can rely upon our Great Redeemer. He is always the same. Amid the confusion and uncertainty of this changeable old world, we have an anchor for the soul. David exclaimed, “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust” “The LORD liveth, and blessed be my rock, and let the God of my salvation be exalted.” ” O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” Ps 18:2, 46,95:1-6
What enduring love our Rock has for us! From generation to generation it is the same! His Great Heart of Love yearns over us more than does the heart of a parent for their wayward child. He assures us of this enduring love that He has for us, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me.” Isa 49:15,16
Let us pray as did David, “Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path.” Ps 27:11 Let us “study to show ourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim 2:15 Let us continually serve our Great Creator from a heart overflowing with love for the One Who “is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” I Tim 6:15,16
Rose