And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. Judges 7:4.
The people were led down to the waterside, expecting to make an immediate advance upon the enemy. A few hastily took a little water in the hand and sucked it up as they went on; but nearly all bowed upon their knees, and leisurely drank from the surface of the stream. Those who took of the water in their hands were but three hundred out of ten thousand; yet these were selected; all the rest were permitted to return to their homes.
By the simplest means character is often tested. Those who in time of peril were intent upon supplying their own wants were not the men to be trusted in an emergency. The Lord has no place in His work for the indolent and self-indulgent. The men of His choice were the few who would not permit their own wants to delay them in the discharge of duty. The three hundred chosen men not only possessed courage and self-control, but they were men of faith. They had not defiled themselves with idolatry. God could direct them, and through them He could work deliverance for Israel. Success does not depend upon numbers. God can deliver by few as well as by many. He is honored not so much by the great numbers as by the character of those who serve Him.
All who would be soldiers of the cross of Christ, must gird on the armor and prepare for conflict. They should not be intimidated by threats, or terrified by dangers. They must be cautious in peril, yet firm and brave in facing the foe and doing battle for God. The consecration of Christ’s follower must be complete. Father, mother, wife, children, houses, lands, everything, must be held secondary to the work and cause of God. He must be willing to bear patiently, cheerfully, joyfully, whatever in God’s providence he may be called to suffer. His final reward will be to share with Christ the throne of immortal glory.
Conflict and Courage p. 128
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Prayer Requests
—–Please pray for my brother Jim. He is hospitalized with acute pancreatitis. Pray also that he will come back to Jesus. Rose
—–Breann has been diagnosed with Chiari Malformation #1. This is not uncommon but her symptoms came on very suddenly and are severe. She will be seeing a Neurosurgeon hopefully in a few days. Thanking everyone for their prayers. Parents of Breann
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Dear Friends,
In these days of insecurity and conflict, how easy it is to become overwhelmed and fearful. How many times we let our focus wander to the allurements of this world. Yet, these are only temporary. They will soon fade away. Praise God! There is One upon Whom we can safely focus our life. There is One upon Whom our hope can rest. Our Great Redeemer stands firm forever. In the beginning He laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of His hands. The earth and all that is therein shall perish, but He remains eternal. He is “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” Rev 1:8 This old world is waxing old as a garment, and someday very soon as a vesture He will fold them up and recreate them anew. Truly they shall be changed: but He never changes. He is always the same: we can safely rely upon Him.
He is “Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isa 9:6 Well, has Isaiah written, “many were astonied at thee, his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations, the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider. . . .For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him, he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isa 52:14-53:12
*One day when heaven was filled with His praises, One day when sin was as black as could be, Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin, Lived, loved, and labored my Teacher is He. Living, He loved me, dying, He saved me, Buried, He carried my sins far away, Rising, He justified, freely forever: One day He’s coming—O glorious day!
One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain, One day they nailed Him for me on the tree, Wonderful, Counselor they had acclaimed Him, Now He is Jesus—my Jesus is He. Living, He loved me, dying, He saved me, Buried, He carried my sins far away, Rising, He justified, freely forever: One day He’s coming—O glorious day!
One day they left Him alone in the garden, One day He rested from suffering free, Angels came down then to keep sacred vigil, Weighted with sins, my Redeemer is He. Living, He loved me, dying, He saved me, Buried, He carried my sins far away, Rising, He justified, freely forever: One day He’s coming—O glorious day!
One day when fullness of time was fast dawning, One day the stone moved away from the door, Then He arose, over death He had conquered, Now He’s ascended, my Lord evermore. Living, He loved me, dying, He saved me, Buried, He carried my sins far away, Rising, He justified, freely forever: One day He’s coming—O glorious day!
One day He’s coming, for Him I am longing, One day the skies with His glory will shine, Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing, Hope of the hopeless, this Jesus is mine. Living, He loved me, dying, He saved me, Buried, He carried my sins far away, Rising, He justified, freely forever: One day He’s coming—O glorious day!
May we keep our eyes upon our Loving Saviour no matter what is transpiring around us. May we “praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men [sacrificing] the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and [declaring] his works with rejoicing.” Ps 107:21,22 May we stay so close to Glorious Redeemer, that when He shall come in the clouds to rescue us from this evil planet, we will with rejoicing look up and say, “Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD, we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Isa 25:9
Rose
*One Day by Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman
Rose