Know God - day 13
Judges 2:11-23, 6:11-14 and 36-40, 7, 16
Disobedience and the stories of Gideon and Samson. A lot to take in onone day.
Israel once again was disobedient. They didn't conquer all the enemies as requested so over time, the false gods infiltrated the homes. Pastor writes, "A divided country left divided hearts. And God's heart was eventually broken."
God shows Israel's pattern of disobedience and rescue.
1. Disobedience/Evil - the people worshipped the pagan gods and turned from the God who rescued them from Egypt.
2. God's Anger - God allowed plunderers to invade and cause great distress.
3. Cry of the People - God was compassionate to the crying of the people due to their oppression and persecution.
4. God's Rescue - he raised up judges...
5. Peace - God was with the judges he raised up and saved the people from their enemies.
6. Repeat - when the judges died, the people returned to worshipping false gods and wicked behavior.
What is God saying to us?? He is giving us an out, a life line so to speak. Everytime the Israelites called out to God, he rescued them... almost sounds too easy. Ask for help and he delivers. But it is also a warning - avoid the trouble in the first place. To quote pastor, "We get in less trouble when we don't go down dark alleys in the first palce!" What dark alley and dark temptation do we need to turn over to God today? Pastor encourages us to cry out to God about this.
My current dark alley is anger. rage at God. and letting him know all about it. It isn't pretty and I have said some pretty mean and nasty things to him. But if my heart will believe my head, he will rescue me. He will rescue you as well. If he can rescue the Israelites over and over and over and over....the least he can do is the same for us. Right?
Gideon. God's angel told him that the Lord was with him. His reply could have come from me... 6:13 "But sir, Gideon replied, if the Lord is with us, why has all this [bad stuff] happened to/befallen us? Where are all his wonders/miracles that our fathers told us about..." This is very similar to a recent conversation I had with someone. Recent as in TODAY! At least God is accustomed to hearing us ask - WHY???????
God told Gideon that he will strike down the Midianites, but that He will be with Gideon. God is telling us that he will be with us when we need to strike down big problems. What is the biggest problem we need to strike down? How is God with us when we deal with these problems? Currently, my biggest problem is fear, doubt, anger. I know God is with me because I am in constant struggle with him. I am wanting to escape, crawl into a shell and hide. He is wanting me to fight. worship. seek him. lean on him. rely on him. and the fact that I get out of bed in the morning. get dressed. be productive. show that he is with me.
Gideon's human side shows. One I can especially appreciate. He trusts God, but he just wants some tangible verification. He lays a fleece on the threshing floor and stipulates that the fleece should be wet and the floor dry-then he will truly believe God. god does it. Gideon apologizes and asks for another sign-floor wet, fleece dry. Again, God did it.
Does God respond to that type of testing these days? nope. we all try. God if you'll xyz than I'll really trust you. Nope he expects us to learn from Gideon that he will deliver. But if we look at creation, our world, our family, ourselves we will see evidence of his presence. Where did you catch a glimpse of God in the past 24 hours? (Try asking this each new day.) God was there tonight. In a quiet sanctuary with 4 people gathered. He used another person's grief journey to let me know that the anger is ok. A complete stranger. a 'random' act. It was a small worship service. two were strangers to me. one was pastor. If that wasn't God...reassuring me in the place where only 2 days prior I had cried, raged and cussed at Him. Then I don't know who it was that orchestrated that small assembly.
Gideon gathers the soldiers together. God tells him there are STILL too many. He went from 32,000 men to 300 men to defeat the enemy.
God wanted something so big to happen that everyone - even the enemy - would know it was from him. not human hands.
Pastor encourages us to add to our prayers, "God, make something so big happen in my life that all - including me - will know that it has to be from you!"
Disobedience and the stories of Gideon and Samson. A lot to take in onone day.
Israel once again was disobedient. They didn't conquer all the enemies as requested so over time, the false gods infiltrated the homes. Pastor writes, "A divided country left divided hearts. And God's heart was eventually broken."
God shows Israel's pattern of disobedience and rescue.
1. Disobedience/Evil - the people worshipped the pagan gods and turned from the God who rescued them from Egypt.
2. God's Anger - God allowed plunderers to invade and cause great distress.
3. Cry of the People - God was compassionate to the crying of the people due to their oppression and persecution.
4. God's Rescue - he raised up judges...
5. Peace - God was with the judges he raised up and saved the people from their enemies.
6. Repeat - when the judges died, the people returned to worshipping false gods and wicked behavior.
What is God saying to us?? He is giving us an out, a life line so to speak. Everytime the Israelites called out to God, he rescued them... almost sounds too easy. Ask for help and he delivers. But it is also a warning - avoid the trouble in the first place. To quote pastor, "We get in less trouble when we don't go down dark alleys in the first palce!" What dark alley and dark temptation do we need to turn over to God today? Pastor encourages us to cry out to God about this.
My current dark alley is anger. rage at God. and letting him know all about it. It isn't pretty and I have said some pretty mean and nasty things to him. But if my heart will believe my head, he will rescue me. He will rescue you as well. If he can rescue the Israelites over and over and over and over....the least he can do is the same for us. Right?
Gideon. God's angel told him that the Lord was with him. His reply could have come from me... 6:13 "But sir, Gideon replied, if the Lord is with us, why has all this [bad stuff] happened to/befallen us? Where are all his wonders/miracles that our fathers told us about..." This is very similar to a recent conversation I had with someone. Recent as in TODAY! At least God is accustomed to hearing us ask - WHY???????
God told Gideon that he will strike down the Midianites, but that He will be with Gideon. God is telling us that he will be with us when we need to strike down big problems. What is the biggest problem we need to strike down? How is God with us when we deal with these problems? Currently, my biggest problem is fear, doubt, anger. I know God is with me because I am in constant struggle with him. I am wanting to escape, crawl into a shell and hide. He is wanting me to fight. worship. seek him. lean on him. rely on him. and the fact that I get out of bed in the morning. get dressed. be productive. show that he is with me.
Gideon's human side shows. One I can especially appreciate. He trusts God, but he just wants some tangible verification. He lays a fleece on the threshing floor and stipulates that the fleece should be wet and the floor dry-then he will truly believe God. god does it. Gideon apologizes and asks for another sign-floor wet, fleece dry. Again, God did it.
Does God respond to that type of testing these days? nope. we all try. God if you'll xyz than I'll really trust you. Nope he expects us to learn from Gideon that he will deliver. But if we look at creation, our world, our family, ourselves we will see evidence of his presence. Where did you catch a glimpse of God in the past 24 hours? (Try asking this each new day.) God was there tonight. In a quiet sanctuary with 4 people gathered. He used another person's grief journey to let me know that the anger is ok. A complete stranger. a 'random' act. It was a small worship service. two were strangers to me. one was pastor. If that wasn't God...reassuring me in the place where only 2 days prior I had cried, raged and cussed at Him. Then I don't know who it was that orchestrated that small assembly.
Gideon gathers the soldiers together. God tells him there are STILL too many. He went from 32,000 men to 300 men to defeat the enemy.
God wanted something so big to happen that everyone - even the enemy - would know it was from him. not human hands.
Pastor encourages us to add to our prayers, "God, make something so big happen in my life that all - including me - will know that it has to be from you!"
Labels: Know God
posted by Chris K at
00:35
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