DAY 1 – October 12, 2009
TITLE: “THE LORD IS WITH YOU”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY VERSE: “When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’” Judges 6:12
It was not just another ordinary day for Gideon, the son of Joash. He had a visit from a visitor that had a word from God for Gideon that changed his life. This heavenly messenger said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”
The word picture here is insightful. A man is hidden in a winepress threshing a little wheat and the Angel of the Lord calls him a mighty warrior. It seems that the Angel saw in Gideon what he did not see in himself or for himself. Gideon was a mighty warrior because of the God who was with him. Gideon was to be the Lord’s instrument of deliverance, not because of who Gideon was, but because of who God was. God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
Gideon was not on his own. The
Great I Am, whom had spoken to Moses had a word for Gideon.
Exodus 3:14 says, “God said to Moses, ‘I
am who I am. This was what you are to say to the Israelites: I Am has sent me to you.’” God’s word to Gideon was, “The Lord is with you.”
God was commissioning Gideon to do something much bigger than he was, but not bigger than the God who would be with him. When Jesus commissioned the disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, the assignment was bigger than they were. However that commission came with the promise, “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
There are many promises in the word of God. A promise from God is a statement we can depend on with absolute confidence. The promise of God’s presence is what would make the difference for Gideon. The presence of God is what makes a difference in our own lives. Of all the promises of God, let us never forget that in the busyness of the day, God has promised to be with us. In the darkness of difficulties and pressing challenges, let us never forget that God has promised to be with us. You can rest upon the promise of God’s presence today. “The Lord is with you.”
DAY 2 – October 13, 2009
TITLE: “WHY?”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY VERSE: “‘But sir,’
Gideon replied, ‘if the Lord is with us, why has all this
happened to us?’ Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when
they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of
Have you ever asked God why? Many years ago now when I was a youth pastor, we had a tragedy that took place. A young teenage girl from our youth group was riding in a car with a teenage guy who also attended our church when they were involved in a serious car accident. The young man survived, but the girl was brain dead and died a few days later. It was a difficult and painful tragedy for the families, church, and the youth group.
Not long before this tragedy, the young girl had been far away from the things of God, only coming to church because her parents made her. She went to our Winter Youth Camp and there she met Jesus in a powerful and life changing way. Her life was transformed by the power of Christ. II Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” This was obviously true in the young teenage girl’s life. Her testimony became known in the High School and the community. Lori had met Jesus and she was a different girl through the power of Christ.
A few months later, I found myself at the piano after her funeral talking with God about what had taken place. The youth were asking lots of why questions. In my own heart I wondered why things had happened as they did. God took her home when she had become such a vibrant witness for Him. At the piano that day God spoke to me, calling me to trust in Him. I wrote a song that day our youth group used on their choir and ministry trips. Let me share some of the words with you.
“I was down in deep
despair
I couldn’t find help
anywhere
Until, I gave my life
to Jesus.
He said come to me
I’ll care for you.
My grace is sufficient
I will see you through
And I found that His
words are really true.
God said trust me so I
will trust Him
He will supply my
every need.
God said trust me, so
I will trust Him
He is my friend indeed.”
DAY 3 – October 14, 2009
TITLE: “SO SEND I YOU”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY VERSE: “The Lord
turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save
Margaret Clarkson, who was born in 1915, was a
teacher in a gold-mining camp in northern
“So send I you to labor unrewarded,
To serve unpaided, unloved, unsought, unknown,
To bear rebuke, to suffer scorn and scoffing-
So send I you to toil for me alone.
So send I you to bind the bruised and broken,
O'er wand'ring souls to work, to weep, to wake,
To bear the burdens of a world aweary-
So send I you to suffer for My sake.
So send I you to loneliness and longing,
With heart ahung'ring for the loved and known,
Forsaking home and kindred, friend and dear one-
So send I you to know My love alone.
So send I you to leave your life's ambition,
To die to dear desire, self-will resign,
To labor long, and love where men revile you-
So send I you to love your life in Mine.
So send I you to hearts made hard by hatred,
To eyes made blind because they will not see,
To spend, tho' it be blood, to spend and spare not-
So send I you to taste of
God was sending Gideon on a
mission? What mission is God sending you on today? Go in the strength
God has given you and be faithful to serve where He sends you today. “Am I
not sending you?”
DAY 4 – October 15, 2009
TITLE: “DO NOT BE AFRAID”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY VERSE: “But the Lord said to him, ‘Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.’” Judges 6:23
A man who hid for 32
years fearing punishment of pro-Nazi wartime activity, says he used to cry when
he heard happy voices outside, but dared not show himself even at his mother's
funeral. Janez Rus was a young shoemaker when he went into hiding at his
sister's farmhouse in June, 1945. He was found years later after he bought a
large supply of bread in the nearby
Can you think of a time when you were really afraid? Gideon was filled with fear. Asking for a sign, the angel of the Lord had waited while he went away to prepare an offering of meat and unleavened bread. The angel touched the meat and bread with the tip of the staff in his hand and fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. Then the angel disappeared. The scripture says, “When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, ‘Ah, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!’” Judges 6:22
Struck with fear, he thought that he would die. It was
widely believed in
Take a few moments to prayerfully reflect on these two words, “Fear Not,” from scripture. Do you have some fears today that you need to give to Jesus so you can experience His peace?
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
“‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’” II Kings 6:16
DAY 5 – October 16, 2009
TITLE: “TEAR IT DOWN”
WEEKLY SCRIPTURE
DAILY SCRIPTURE
KEY VERSE: “That same night the Lord said to him, ‘Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.’” Judges 6:25
Earlier this week in the devotions, I shared about a teenage girl by the name of Lori who was tragically killed in a car accident. In that devotional, I mentioned that she gave her life to Christ at a youth winter camp. I would like to share more of that part of the story at this time.
The night Lori gave her life to Christ was a special evening. A little while after the service was over, she came to me with a brown paper sack. As she handed me the brown paper sack she said, pastor, these are some things that I need to get rid of because they don’t fit into my new life with Jesus. It was a bag of drugs. With some other youth leaders we destroyed the drugs and got rid of them, rejoicing in her testimony, and act of obedience to what the Lord had laid upon her heart. She knew there were some things in her old life that just did not fit in the new life with Christ she had experienced.
Gideon’s father’s altar to Baal did not fit in a life committed to the one true and living God. It had to go. God gave Gideon clear instructions that the altar to Baal and the Asherah pole beside it had to be torn down. Then a proper kind of altar to the Lord God was to be built.
Some things just do not fit into a life committed to serving the one and true living God. Are there some things in your life that the Lord wants you to tear down and get rid of through His power? Things that just don’t fit into a life that loves and serves the one and true living God. Are there some altars of habits, attitudes, pride, busyness, worldliness, materialism, or other things that need to be dealt with in your life through His power so your heart is right with God? Gideon was able to do what he did because the Lord was with him. Remember God will be with you as you tear down the things in your life that get in the way of worshipping and serving the one true God. Is your heart right with God?
“Have thy affections
been nailed to the Cross? Is thy heart right with God?
Doest thou count all things
for Jesus but loss? Is thy heart right with God?
Hast thou dominion
over self and over sin? Is thy heart right with God?
Over
all evil without and within?
Is thy heart right with God?
Is there no more
condemnation for sin? Is thy heart right with God?
Does Jesus rule in the
temple within? Is thy heart right with God?
Are all thy powers
under Jesus control? Is thy heart right with God?
Does He each moment abide in thy soul? Is thy heart right with God?” Elisha Hoffman