Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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God Strengthens the Weary

Bible Reading:   Judges:  6:11-24

Key Verse: The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” (Judges 6:16)


DEVOTION

A recurring theme that can be seen in Scripture is the weariness and restlessness of God’s people in carrying out their assignments. In today’s devotional text, we look at the life of Gideon, a servant of the Lord who wrestled with doubt. However, his doubt did not lead to a dead end. Rather, it opened the door for God to do a mighty work through him.
 
Gideon was one of the judges that God worked through in the Old Testament. He was handpicked to lead an army against one of the oppressors of the Israelites, the Midianites. However, there was a level of doubt that Gideon had to overcome with regard to his role. For him, he could not reconcile the idea of God rescuing His people from Egypt and then allowing them to suffer in a state of despair at the hands of another enemy. God, in His providence, did not shun Gideon for expressing his doubts. Instead, the angel of the Lord reassured Gideon that the victory was all but guaranteed. After receiving the confirmation he was looking for, he moved forward with a newfound sense of hope and confidence in the Lord.
 
Judges 6 lays out a blueprint. In the life of a believer, hardship, strife, and calamity are all but guaranteed. The will of God certainly does not exclude difficulty. It is in those moments of difficulty where pivotal decisions need to be made. Faith or fear? Trust or doubt? Fear and doubt are a byproduct of circumstances which can be out of our control. When uncertainties go unchecked, the fallout can be disastrous. In those times of despair, we need to embrace the idea of moving closer to the Lord with our doubts and fears in hand. After all, He is the one in control. He sees the end from the beginning. Israel’s eventual victory over the Midianites was already part of the plan. With that in mind, not every detail of our future needs to be etched out in order for us to move forward. Sometimes, all we need to do is simply go when God creates a path for us and leave the results to Him. Thus, faith can become our “modus operandi” or mode of operating.
 

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we thank you for another day in our lives. As we come to you, calm our restless hearts. Hear our cries and provide us with the timely relief that only You can provide. We lift up our own burdens and those of people around us. Let us move forward this day knowing that it is You who nourishes us. Lift us when we fall down and remind us that you will never leave us or forsake us. We place this all before you in Jesus’ name. Amen.


Thought for the day

Faith is the light at the end of the tunnel.
                                                        
Christin Mathew
Epiphany MTC, Yonkers, NY

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