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| Valley of Jezreel photo courtesy of http://www.bibleplaces.com. |
For those of you that regularly read this blog, I am expanding slowly but surely. I will be posting on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week. Each Trusting Tuesday we will delve into the faith walk and glean from the word of God. Two weeks ago we started looking at Judges Ch. 6 and what we can glean from Gideon.
Gleaning is defined as walking through a harvested field and picking up what was left behind. Hmmm, we left Gideon in the winepress last time. He had been threshing wheat there in order to hide his harvest from the enemy. Amazing how God finds mighty warriors hiding, huh?
When was the last time God came to you and asked you to do something big? Something that made you look twice, and mumble, “Me?”, under your breath. If you have been with God for some time you have, and if not, then watch out mighty warrior because it’s coming. If you stick with God sooner or later he will show up where you are hiding.
While threshing wheat Gideon looked twice, and said something like, “Not me, I mean do you know who I am?” As if God had the wrong man, and needed a reminder, ha. Then God convinces Gideon He means business, and Gideon said, “I have seen the Lord!”
Later that night God said to Gideon, “Go cut down your father’s altar to Baal, sacrifice a bull on that height, and then use the wood from the asherah pole beside it to offer a second bull on an altar built for me.” (my interpretation) So Gideon took ten of his servants and went during the night to do what the Lord said. He made sure he finished by morning because he was afraid of his father and the other people of the town.
In the morning the people found Baal’s altar destroyed, the asherah pole cut down, and an altar built for God. They were mad as hornets and searched until they found that Gideon was the one who had done this. The towns people went to Joash, Gideon’s father, and demanded Gideon be given to them that they may put him to death.
Imagine how Gideon felt at that time. Think he was feeling like a mighty warrior? Do you think he slept a wink that night? Me neither. Yet, while his life was in the balance, his father (the one whose altar to a false God had been destroyed), defended Gideon. He said to let Baal defend himself. Joash told the people that they did not need to defend a god, and that if he was real then he would take care of Gideon himself. Whew, can you feel the sweat that must of beaded on Gideon’s brow? I can. Imagine his thought pattern changing as he watched his father stand up for him.
What if God asked you to go and tear down that idol that your family is worshiping? What would you do? Is it one your spouse, kids, parents, grandparents are bowing down to? Do you think, who am I, to tear it down? Would you tear it down and build an altar to God instead? Would you do it at night, hoping you could do so without anyone seeing you?
What happened after Gideon made it out with his scrawny neck still intact? We discuss that next week. Until then what is God asking you to tear down in your life? Meditate on what idols you have in your own life, or are tolerating in your life. Ask God what they are. Then even if you have to take some friends and do it at night, Mighty Warrior. Get it done, and let those gods defend themselves.
I’m praying for you. I’ll be doing the same, Beloved. I am posting this at night:) shhhhh ❤ Melinda
Another Samaritan Woman 