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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. Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.” Judges 6:25-26
Gideon was chosen by God to do mighty things for the people of Israel. God’s people were under constant attack from enemies that surrounded them. From time to time He chose common, ordinary, unsuspecting people to do courageous, heroic, acts of deliverance for his people. Often these people were not only unsuspecting but somewhat unwilling to do the task prepared for them.
Perhaps no one was more hesitant than Gideon. When he received God’s word that he was the new go-to guy for Israel’s deliverance he balked at the idea. He wasn’t strong enough, powerful enough or wise enough to be a hero. Besides, from Gideon’s perspective, his family tree was a mess. The backyard at home was strewn idols and altars to false gods.
God saw things differently that Gideon. Gideon measured the possibility of success according to his strength. God measured success by God’s ability and willingness to use Gideon for the purposes He had ordained. God did not wait for Gideon to become a spiritual role model. He didn’t choose him because of his standing among his people. God told him to simply “go in the strength you have”. He refused to let Gideon’s heritage be an excuse for God’s ability to use him in a mighty way. Gideon went on to lead the people of Israel to great victories over their enemies.
People still use the same excuse Gideon used when approaching life. We base our success ratio on the heritage handed down to us from our parents or those in our family tree. We measure our dreams according to ‘the cards we’ve had dealt to us’ without adding the ‘God factor.’ The only ones that should be tied to the family tree are monkeys. They were born there and will spend their entire lives there.
The mistakes, abuse and poverty of our youth should not keep us from living up to the potential we have through Christ. He isn’t interested in our past. He is only interested in how he can use us for his glory in the future. God can use us even if we are unsure, outnumbered or weak. He alone is our strength and our deliverer.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank you for the fact that You can use me no matter how strong or weak I may feel. I thank you for Jesus and His forgiveness. Like Gideon, I have some idols in my yard, things that keep me from pursuing you. Please forgive me for not believing. Empower me through your Holy Spirit to remove those idols so that you can work through me in mighty ways. Amen.
“If you can?” said Jesus, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Mark 9:23
Mark tells the story of the man who brought his son to Jesus for healing from a terrible demon that would throw the boy into violent seizures. Sometimes the demon would try to kill the boy by trying to throw the boy into fire or water. The man was desperate for help.
When he found Jesus the father said to Him, “If you can do anything please help us.” Jesus responded by saying the verse for today, “If you can?” said Jesus, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” The man responded by saying what each of us has no doubt felt in our lives. “I do believe…help me in my unbelief.”
It isn’t enough to simply believe. Had the man sat at home watching the boy convulse and say “I believe you will be healed’ nothing would have happened. Empty belief brings empty results. The boy was healed because of at least three things that the man did that each of us must do if we are to see God work in our lives.
First he didn’t simply believe. He believed in God. He sought out Jesus because he ‘knew’ from what he’d seen and heard that this man was a man of the Most High God. His belief was based on fact and on a power that could indeed heal his son.
Secondly, he put action to his belief. He sought out what God had for him rather than sitting at home and feeling sorry for himself and his boy. He pursued Jesus. Jesus tells us to “seek, and we shall find.”
Lastly, the man believed in himself. He believed that he was important enough to be heard. It wasn’t that he was worthy of being heard for any reason. Like the Roman commander said to Jesus, “I’m not worthy of you coming to my house…” The man believed in his ‘worth’ because of God’s love and mercy, not his own righteousness.
Believing involves believing God to be who He says He is, believing that if you seek Him, He will come to you, and believing that you are worthy of His working in your life because of Jesus and God’s unlimited mercy.
Don’t give up! Don’t let the enemy keep you from believing in God. Don’t listen to his lies about your worthlessness. When we believe as the man did, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!
PRAYER: Heavenly Father. There are so many times when I feel like the father in this story. I want to believe your promises but my fear, my circumstances, the guilt I have keep me from seeking after your blessing. Help me today with my belief. Show me the wonder of your mercy in my life. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 