The Tree
There's a tree in my backyard.  It's an oak tree and the squirrels and birds love it.  I can sit and watch that tree and all the activity surrounding it for hours.  The tree is old.   It's survived all kinds of weather:  drought, heavy winds, hail...  But it stands strong because it has deep roots. That tree was growing long before our house was built.  It was sitting in the middle of a pasture with no sprinkler system watering it, no store-bought fertilizer, no pruning by my over zealous husband who thinks all trees should look like palm trees.  = )   God maintained my oak tree.  He made it grow. 




Jeremiah 17:7-9

 ⁷ "But I will bless any man who trusts in me.
I will show my favor to the one who depends on me.
⁸ He will be like a tree that is planted near water.
It sends out its roots beside a stream.
It is not afraid when heat comes.
Its leaves are always green.
It does not worry when there is no rain.
It always bears fruit."

 

 

This morning I was reading this passage, and I got to thinking about how often God encourages us to be like trees with deep roots.   He wants us to be able to withstand the droughts and high winds and hail that will come into our lives, just like my oak tree.  He wants us to still produce "fruit" even when the storms come.  And He promises that we can do that IF we delight in His law and meditate on it day and night.

Psalm 1 ESV

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

1 Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
² but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

³ He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
⁴ The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
⁶ for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

This week Larry and I watched a movie about a little boy whose father was killed on 9/11.  The father was this little boy's whole world.  They were not only father and son, they were also best buddies.   The little boy was unique, different in a special way.  Others didn't find his uniqueness appealing so he didn't fit in very well with other kids, but his dad always encouraged him and loved him - he believed in him.  When the dad died, the little boy had no one he felt he could trust.  No one who understood him.  He was lost.

As I watched this story unfold I thought about how thankful I am to have the Everlasting Father to count on when times are difficult.  I love my family and my friends but they may not always be around to help me when I struggle.  People die - just like the little boy's dad.  People move away.  People get their feelings hurt and turn their backs on us.   People get caught up in their own problems and no longer can be bothered with our needs and hurts.  People are human and they will always let us down.  But God, our heavenly, eternal Father, will never leave nor forsake us.  That's where we must learn to put our trust. 

I have found that the more I meditate on His Word, the more I come to trust in His faithfulness and love. Reading through the Old Testament, it becomes very clear how much Jehovah God longed for a relationship with the Israelites.  He was so merciful for so long - through all kinds of horrible behavior and betrayals by the Israelites.  Yet HE was ready to welcome them back if they would simply trust in Him and turn away from idols made with human hands.

Trusting God comes from knowing God, and the only way we can come to know Him better is to listen to His Voice speaking through His Holy Word.  We must take time to have conversations with our Father.  Reading His Word, meditating on what He is saying to us in those words, praying and asking for discernment and wisdom so that we can understand exactly what He wants us to hear from the passage - that's how we communicate.  Sometimes, too, just sitting in my backyard watching the birds and squirrels scamper around my old oak tree, I see how great our Creator God is.  He didn't have to make this world so beautiful and fill it with such amazing and unique creatures, but He did.  Have you ever considered that God created every color we see in the Universe?  Think about your favorite color.  God designed it!  God made hot pink!!!  He made purple and green and blue... I can see so many different designs and colors just in my backyard!   Oh, yes, sitting quietly on my back porch, I draw closer to God, and I learn to trust the Creator who provides for my trees and all the little animals and birds every single day.  I know I can trust Him to provide for me, too.

Here is Paul's prayer for the Ephesians, and for us, too.

Ephesians 3

¹⁶ I pray that he will use His glorious riches to make you strong. May His Holy Spirit give you His power deep down inside you. ¹⁷ Then Christ will live in your hearts because you believe in Him.

And I pray that your love will have deep roots. I pray that it will have a strong foundation. ¹⁸ May you have power with all God's people to understand Christ's love. May you know how wide and long and high and deep it is. ¹⁹ And may you know His love, even though it can't be known completely. Then you will be filled with everything God has for you.
²⁰ God is able to do far more than we could ever ask for or imagine. He does everything by His power that is working in us. ²¹ Give Him glory in the church and in Christ Jesus. Give Him glory through all time and for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 52:8-9

But I am like a healthy olive tree.
My roots are deep in the house of God.
I trust in your faithful love
for ever and ever.
⁹ I will praise you forever for what you have done.
I will put my hope in you because you are good.
I will praise you when I'm with your faithful people.

http://youtu.be/nXVwHONoLjE - Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing - Chris Rice

"Don't be afraid!" Elisha told him.
"For there are more on our side than on theirs!"

“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!”

 

I had a lot of trouble writing this message.  Maybe it was Spiritual Warfare.  I'm sure the Enemy wants to keep us off guard - not thinking about the war that he is waging against us. I struggled putting the words down but I know God will open eyes of anyone who needs to hear this - which I think is all of us.  He can use even my feeble attempt at drawing attention to the War going on among us and in us.

Jesus, You are my strength.  You are mighty to save and more powerful than any thing that will come against me today.  Thank You for saving me.  Thank You for giving me Your Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts, words and actions.  Today, help me to stand firm, to resist the enemy, to call on YOU, my Savior.
You have already defeated Satan and he knows it.  So now, he goes after Your followers to hurt You. Please keep me from being his tool, his instrument of evil. Help me to remember that the battle is already won. Help me to put on the full armor of God.  Dear Lord, keep me from doing anything that brings dishonor to Your Name.  Most of all, LORD, keep my thoughts pure, because that's where all sin begins.  Remind me to bring every thought under Your authority.  I don't want my head filled with anything that is not from You.  You alone are my God.  Today, help me stand firm with Your strength and victory.  In the Power of Your Name I pray. Amen.


From Jesus Calling:

Do not be surprised by the fiery attacks on your mind.

When you struggle to find Me and to live in My Peace, don't let discouragement set in.  You are engaged in massive warfare, spiritually speaking.  The evil one abhors your closeness to Me, and his demonic underlings are determined to destroy our intimacy.  When you find yourself in the thick of battle, call upon My
Name:  "Jesus, help me!"  At that instant, the battle becomes Mine; your role is simply to trust Me as I fight for you.

My Name, properly used, has unlimited Power to bless and protect.  At the end of time, every knee will bow (in heaven, on earth, and under the earth), when My Name is proclaimed.  People who have used "Jesus" as a shoddy swear word will fall down in terror on that awesome day.  But all those who have drawn near Me through trustingly uttering My Name will be filled with inexpressible and glorious Joy.  This is your great hope, as you await My return.

 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yesterday, at least 4 times, I heard messages about Spiritual Warfare. 
One speaker made a statement that caught my attention.  He said the moment I became a Christian, Satan became my enemy.  MY Enemy!  Mine!  He hates Me and wants to hurt ME and everyone I love.  He hates me because I love Christ.
He will use whatever he can to destroy my life.

Satan despises the honor and adoration we give to Christ.  Christ has everything Satan wanted and although our Savior defeated him, Satan still has a little time before he must face his ultimate destruction.  During that time, he is lashing out at anyone who brings glory or honor to Jesus. BE READY!

He is out to bring me down, to weaken my faith, to destroy my influence, to make me doubt that God loves me, to discourage, depress, defeat me.  I am his mission's goal, and he is obsessed with that goal. He has a plan for my demise.  Usually, he uses my weaknesses, but sometimes he uses my strengths.

For those of us who can sometimes feel a little self-righteous, he'll even use the "good things" we do to bring us down. He can use our ministries for the church to steal us away.  We can get so busy doing things for the Lord, that we don't spend time with HIM.  We stop reading His Word.  Maybe we spend so much time on our ministry, we fail to care for our family in the way that God intended.  Busyness is one of Satan's power tools.  Anything that takes our attention away from Christ is not good, no matter how good it may look to those around us.

He uses our successes, too. Financial success can mislead us into thinking we don't need Jesus.  After all, we provide for our families, we give to the needy...  It's very easy to think it's our hard work and our insight and our understanding that brings us our material wealth.  But ultimately, everything we have comes for our Father and when we forget that, we become prideful and we take our eyes off our Savior. Satan loves to use that weapon:  PRIDE.
,
The Enemy is crafty.  He's been engaged in battle against believers for centuries, and he knows exactly which weapons to use against each of us. He has a personalized plan just for me and one just for you, too.  Peter warns us to "Be Alert!" because the devil is prowling around just looking for opportunities to catch us off guard.

What weapon does Satan use against you?  Think about. 

Romans 1 lists some sins that Satan uses against us:

Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents.

I can read this passage and feel pretty good about myself until I look closer. 
Matthew 5:28:

"But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

The sin starts in our thoughts.  My thought sins may not be "lust", they may be bitterness, resentment, self-pity, etc.  But those kind of thoughts will cause just as much damage as lustful thoughts.
Have you ever head someone say "it just happened.  We didn't mean to have an affair.  It just happened."

No, it didn't just happen.  You thought it about long before you took action.  You let your mind think about what it would be like long before you made your first move.  That's why God tells us to capture our thoughts and bring them under the authority of Christ.  Stop the thought.  The action will never happen.


1 Peter 5:8-9
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

http://youtu.be/1gbBrlAVm20 - Your Great Name  - Natalie Grant

 His Name is powerful.  Call on Jesus when you feel attacked.  Call on Jesus when you don't feel attacked, because you are being attacked whether you feel it or not.  Satan is YOUR enemy.  Don't forget it.  He won't. 

Resist the enemy and he will flee from you.  He will flee for a season, but first, YOU must resist.  God gives us the weapons we need to defeat the Enemy. 
He tells us to put on the whole armor of God.

Ephesians 6 
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

  Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.  Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And don't forget this last weapon.  PRAY.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

This battle we fight every day is real - whether we realize it or not.  When I think about how vicious Satan is, how much he wants to destroy anything that is good or sweet or kind, I tremble because I know too many days I walk around completely unaware.  My guard is down and I'm vulnerable.  But praise God!  I do not fight this battle on my own.  The Creator of the Universe can call down His heavenly army to protect me.  Just because I can't see them, doesn't mean they aren't surrounding me.

I think of the prophet Elisha's servant who was so afraid because the enemy was surrounding them and there was no way out... no human way out.  But Elisha prayed and ask God to open the eyes of his servant so he could see what Elisha saw.

2 Kings 6:15-17

When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha.

“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!”

Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.

Whom then shall I fear?  Satan can tempt me, he can use every trick imaginable, but I have the LORD on my side. He's my Savior. One word is all I need, "Jesus!".  At His Name, every knee will bow, even Satan. 

That beautiful, powerful, sweet Name!

http://youtu.be/NgHu0YyYbnU - Names of God

HOSANNA in the highest!



Psalm 118:24-29
This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
²⁵ Please, Lord, please save us.
Please, Lord, please give us success.
²⁶ Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
²⁷ The Lord is God, shining upon us.
Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.
²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise you!
You are my God, and I will exalt you!

²⁹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.

Sometimes my words of praise seem so inadequate - I take that back.  They always seem inadequate. 
But I want to praise God.  He has been so good to me.  Sometimes when I pray, I just say "thank You, thank You, thank You."  That's the only thing that comes out of mouth!  Every thing else I try to say sounds so planned, so rote.  But I want to say more.  I want to give full praise. 

When the words just don't come, I can always turn to the Psalms and use the writer's words to praise God. Today, I am using Psalm 118.   I can say these beautiful words and mean every single one.

Casting Crowns (and Steven Curtis Chapman) has a song - Listen to our Hearts - that expresses our desire to praise God with words when there are no words that really can express our love and awe.

 http://youtu.be/171BPOFxJVw - Listen to our hearts - Casting Crowns

 ..."words cannot express the love we feel but we long for you to hear, so listen to our hearts, hear our spirits sing!!!"

"We will use the words we know to tell you what an awesome God you are but words are not enough to tell you of our love... so listen to our hearts." 

I'm so glad that God listens to my heart and not my fumbling words.  I'm so thankful that the Holy Spirit presents my prayers and praise to God for me.

Romans 8:26-27
²⁶ In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us when we are weak. We don't know what we should pray for. But the Spirit himself prays for us. He prays with groans too deep for words. ²⁷ God, who looks into our hearts, knows the mind of the Spirit. And the Spirit prays for God's people just as God wants him to pray.

There is one word that says more than any other expression of worship I can think of.  Hosanna!
As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people shouted "Hosanna, hosanna in the highest!"

Matthew 21

Jesus Enters Jerusalem

¹ As they all approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage. It was on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent out two disciples. ² He said to them, "Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you get there, you will find a donkey tied up. Her colt will be with her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them. The owner will send them right away."
⁴ This took place so that what was spoken through the prophet would come true. It says,

⁵ "Say to the city of Zion,
'See, your king comes to you.
He is gentle and riding on a donkey.
He is riding on a donkey's colt.' " —(Zechariah 9:9)

⁶ The disciples went and did what Jesus told them to do. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt. They placed their coats on them. Then Jesus sat on the coats. ⁸ A very large crowd spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ Some of the people went ahead of him, and some followed. They all shouted,

"Hosanna to the Son of David!"

"Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" —(Psalm 118:26)

"Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

¹⁰ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up. The people asked, "Who is this?"
¹¹ The crowds answered, "This is Jesus. He is the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

Jesus Clears Out the Temple

¹² Jesus entered the temple area. He began chasing out all those who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of the people who were exchanging money. He also turned over the benches of those who were selling doves. ¹³ He said to them, "It is written that the Lord said, 'My house will be called a house where people can pray.'—(Isaiah 56:7) But you are making it a 'den for robbers.' "—(Jeremiah 7:11)
¹⁴ Blind people and those who were disabled came to Jesus at the temple. There he healed them. ¹⁵ The chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did. They also saw the children in the temple area shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" But when they saw all of this, they became angry.

¹⁶ "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him.

"Yes," replied Jesus. "Haven't you ever read about it in Scripture? It says,
" 'You have made sure that children and infants  praise you.' " —(Psalm 8:2)

I don't want my words of praise and adoration to become empty and meaningless.  I hope this one word will trigger thoughts of adoration and praise for you like it now does for me.  When God brings "Hosanna" to your mind today, remember to praise Him for all He is, all He has been and all He will forever be for us.  He is our blessed Savior and God.  Today I will sing:

"Hosanna, Lord!  Save me, God--thank You for saving me! Heal my heart and make it clean - Deliver me from myself--break my heart for what breaks Yours - show me how to love like You love me -  Use me for Your Kingdom's cause - thank You for Your provision!

I need Your help--Your help is here!"  Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna in the Highest!"
I found this devotional a couple of years ago and when I read it, singing "Hosanna" became much more meaningful to me. 

The Cornerstone Devotions for Teachers
Hosanna!

I was searching for just the right phrase tonight while praying and was so excited when God gave it to me! I was in that place where you want to ask God for help (maybe 'beg' is a more accurate word), but at the same time you're trying to stay in His peace and claim victory over the situation...
I played a song called "Hosanna in the Highest" and while singing, I realized I didn't know what I was saying. What does 'hosanna' mean, anyway? I stopped the song because I knew I'd get more out of it if I understood the words. Thanks to (believe it or not) Wikipedia, I had a powerful answer within seconds. 'Hosanna' is a Hebrew word meaning 'please save' or 'save now', which seems kind of strange when you consider that people shouted when seeing Jesus enter Jerusalem, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" What they were saying was, "Please save us! Blessed is He who saves us!"
So here's the amazing quote from Wikipedia that tied the two seemingly contradictory phrases together: "[Hosanna] is a cry for salvation, while at the same time a declaration of praise". I never saw that before! What a perfect word..."Save me, God--thank You for saving me! Deliver me from myself--thank You for Your provision! I need Your help--Your help is here!" That was exactly what I was trying to express. Yes, hosanna in the highest!!

http://youtu.be/ZeJZBcAMXWc   - Hosanna in the Highest!

Are you a mighty warrior?

http://youtu.be/xj8wHfBKoRU - You raise me up - Josh Groban

Just exactly what could ever be too hard for me if I just remembered that the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, is living inside me giving me His power and strength to face any obstacle?  If like Paul, I could remember the promise that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, what could I possibly fear?

I have come to see the struggles God allows in my life as evidence of His love for me, and proof that HE believes in me and trusts me to keep my eyes on Him and give Him control.  I don't always feel courageous or powerful.  Too many times I don't feel qualified or good enough or strong enough for the battle I face, but God believes in me even when I don't.  He knows I won't alone.

When I'm feeling scared or like I can't face the mountain in front of me, I remember Gideon. 

Gideon was afraid.  He didn't feel strong enough for the challenge God had for him.  But God knew Gideon better than Gideon knew himself.  God believed in Gideon. 

Judges 6 - Gideon

Yet again the People of Israel went back to doing evil in God's sight. God put them under the domination of Midian for seven years. Midian overpowered Israel. Because of Midian, the People of Israel made for themselves hideouts in the mountains—caves and forts. When Israel planted its crops, Midian and Amalek, the easterners, would invade them, camp in their fields, and destroy their crops all the way down to Gaza. They left nothing for them to live on, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. Bringing their cattle and tents, they came in and took over, like an invasion of locusts. And their camels—past counting! They marched in and devastated the country. The People of Israel, reduced to grinding poverty by Midian, cried out to God for help.

The Israelites were so far away from God.  They worshiped Ba-al and had Asherah poles to honor the mother-goddess Asherah.  They did evil in God's sight.  They no longer were following Jehovah God.  And God allowed the Midianites to terrorize the Israelites for seven years because they would not return to Him.  What were they thinking? They worshiped man made idols when the Lord God Almighty had delivered time after time.  After seven years, the Israelites finally called out to the only True and Living God.

 7-10 One time when the People of Israel had cried out to God because of Midian, God sent them a prophet with this message: "God, the God of Israel, says,
    I delivered you from Egypt,
      I freed you from a life of slavery;
   I rescued you from Egypt's brutality
      and then from every oppressor;
   I pushed them out of your way
      and gave you their land.
    "And I said to you, 'I am God, your God. Don't for a minute be afraid of the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living.' But you didn't listen to me."

 11-12 One day the angel of God came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, whose son Gideon was threshing wheat in the wine press, out of sight of the Midianites. The angel of God appeared to him and said, "God is with you, O mighty warrior!"

Gideon was so afraid of the Midianites that he was basically threshing wheat in a hole so that he would not be seen by the enemy. The angel of God appeared  and said "God is with you, O mighty warrior!"   I'm guessing Gideon wasn't feeling much like a mighty warrior at that moment.

 13 Gideon replied, "With me, my master? If God is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all the miracle-wonders our parents and grandparents told us about, telling us, 'Didn't God deliver us from Egypt?' The fact is, God has nothing to do with us—he has turned us over to Midian."
 14 But God faced him directly: "Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven't I just sent you?"

The angel of God may have been a special messenger angel sent by God, but some believe this could be an appearance of Jesus Christ - since verse 14 says "God" faced him directly.  This could very well be another appearance of the Son of God just like when Shadrack, Meshack and Abednigo were in the firey furnace with another figure who appeared to be "divine" according to Daniel 3:25 the 21st Century Kings James Version - 25 He answered and said, "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

Listen to Gideon.  Does this sound at all familiar?  Gideon began to list his shortcomings, all the reason why he couldn't do what God has asked him to do.   Do you have a tape like Gideon's that you play when God shows you something He wants you to do?  Do you convince yourself that you're not smart enough, not good enough, too this or too that..?  Are you the runt of the litter - like Gideon?  If God asks you to do something, it doesn't matter if you don't have the strength, He works best through our weaknesses anyway.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
⁹ But he said to me, "My grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak."
So I am very happy to brag about how weak I am. Then Christ's power can rest on me. ¹⁰ Because of how I suffered for Christ, I'm glad that I am weak. I am glad in hard times. I am glad when people say mean things about me. I am glad when things are difficult. And I am glad when people make me suffer. When I am weak, I am strong.
  

 Back to Gideon:

15 Gideon said to him, "Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan's the weakest in Manasseh and I'm the runt of the litter."
 16 God said to him, "I'll be with you. Believe me, you'll defeat Midian as one man."
 17-18 Gideon said, "If you're serious about this, do me a favor: Give me a sign to back up what you're telling me. Don't leave until I come back and bring you my gift."
    He said, "I'll wait till you get back."
 19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat and a huge amount of unraised bread (he used over half a bushel of flour!). He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and took them back under the shade of the oak tree for a sacred meal.


SIGN Number One

20 The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and unraised bread, place them on that rock, and pour the broth on them." Gideon did it.
 21-22 The angel of God stretched out the tip of the stick he was holding and touched the meat and the bread. Fire broke out of the rock and burned up the meat and bread while the angel of God slipped away out of sight. And Gideon knew it was the angel of God!
    Gideon said, "Oh no! Master, God! I have seen the angel of God face-to-face!"
 23 But God reassured him, "Easy now. Don't panic. You won't die."
 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to God and named it "God's Peace." It's still called that at Ophrah of Abiezer.
 25-26 That night this happened. God said to him, "Take your father's best seven-year-old bull, the prime one. Tear down your father's Baal altar and chop down the Asherah fertility pole beside it. Then build an altar to God, your God, on the top of this hill. Take the prime bull and present it as a Whole-Burnt-Offering, using firewood from the Asherah pole that you cut down."
 27 Gideon selected ten men from his servants and did exactly what God had told him. But because of his family and the people in the neighborhood, he was afraid to do it openly, so he did it that night.
 28 Early in the morning, the people in town were shocked to find Baal's altar torn down, the Asherah pole beside it chopped down, and the prime bull burning away on the altar that had been built.
 29 They kept asking, "Who did this?"
    Questions and more questions, and then the answer: "Gideon son of Joash did it."
 30 The men of the town demanded of Joash: "Bring out your son! He must die! Why, he tore down the Baal altar and chopped down the Asherah tree!"
 31 But Joash stood up to the crowd pressing in on him, "Are you going to fight Baal's battles for him? Are you going to save him? Anyone who takes Baal's side will be dead by morning. If Baal is a god in fact, let him fight his own battles and defend his own altar."
 32 They nicknamed Gideon that day Jerub-Baal because after he had torn down the Baal altar, he had said, "Let Baal fight his own battles."

33-35 All the Midianites and Amalekites (the easterners) got together, crossed the river, and made camp in the Valley of Jezreel. God's Spirit came over Gideon. He blew his ram's horn trumpet and the Abiezrites came out, ready to follow him. He dispatched messengers all through Manasseh, calling them to the battle; also to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali. They all came.

SIGN Number Two

 36-37 Gideon said to God, "If this is right, if you are using me to save Israel as you've said, then look: I'm placing a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If dew is on the fleece only, but the floor is dry, then I know that you will use me to save Israel, as you said."
 38 That's what happened. When he got up early the next morning, he wrung out the fleece—enough dew to fill a bowl with water!

SIGN Number Three
 39 Then Gideon said to God, "Don't be impatient with me, but let me say one more thing. I want to try another time with the fleece. But this time let the fleece stay dry, while the dew drenches the ground."
 40 God made it happen that very night. Only the fleece was dry while the ground was wet with dew.


I love this story.  God spoke to Gideon, He performed the miracle of bringing down fire to light the sacrifice, but still Gideon wasn't sure that God would be with him in battle. 

Show me the wet fleece, God! 

Have you ever felt that way?  All Gideon could see was his own shortcomings and weaknesses.  How could he possibly lead his people against such a great army?   The Israelites were so far away from God.  They worshiped Ba-al and had Asherah poles to honor the mother-goddess Asherah.  They were no longer were following Jehovah God.  And God allowed the Midianites to terrorize the Israelites for seven years. Can you imagine?  They worshiped man made idols when God had delivered time after time.  So the Israelites called out to God.

And when they called out to God, He delivered them once again.

We can trust God.  He is all knowing, all powerful, all seeing, and He loves us.  I guess I don't always need the wet fleece.  Do you?

Holy Father, forgive me for needing to see the wet fleece so many times.  I don't know why I ever doubt You.  Every time You lead me to a hard place, I make excuses, I have so many reasons why I can't do what You ask me to do, but when I finally listen and obey, the end result has always been amazing.  Those times when I face my Midianites with Your strength, I feel Your powerful presence in a mighty way.  Help me to trust You and Your plan for my life.  Help me to do whatever You have for me to do.  Whatever battle, I know You will be right next to me, protecting and giving me everything I need to stand firm. For I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.   All praise and honor to You, Sovereign God, forever and ever. I pray these things in Jesus' precious Name, may You be glorified in this mighty warrior.  Amen.

http://youtu.be/DMZ8D6nTKhg - The Battle Belongs to the Lord

http://youtu.be/SZ-fghqc8Oo - From the Inside Out

Do I have to forgive others?

It's hard to forgive when people hurt us or betray us.  But God tells us to be holy - like He is holy.
That means we have to be different from the world.  That means we have to let go of real or imagined offenses and forgive.  We must hold no unforgiveness or bitterness in our hearts towards anyone.  The most amazing thing I have found about this "rule" of God's, even though it is incredibly hard to let go of the hurt, when I do, I have such an amazing peace - that peace that comes from Jesus.  I feel so powerful when I don't let the actions of others control my heart.  I just love no matter what, and God blesses me so much.

What seems too difficult for us is a sure sign that it belongs to God. 

                                                                 - Marie DePree

 

Forgiving others is one of the most effective ways to open the doors to God's blessings.  It's not always easy to do.  Many times, unforgiveness comes because I'm focused on myself.  My unforgiveness centers around my sense of what I deserve.  Someone doesn't treat me the way I think he should.  So I get angry, then I resent that person and have bitterness towards him.  The craziest thing about unforgiveness is that the person who has made me so angry usually doesn't even know it.  My unforgiveness either doesn't affect my "enemy" at all - he's completely clueless, and what's worse, is  my unforgiveness gives my enemy power over me.  That's totally not what I want.  The last person I want to have power over me is someone who has hurt me.

Sometimes, unforgiveness comes when a terrible injustice has been done to someone we love.  I can forgive someone who hurts me, but boy, let them hurt my children, and hell has no fury like a mother who is protecting her babies.  But even in those situations, God still calls us to forgive.

Forgiveness isn't about giving your enemy a "free pass" for what he's done.  It's about giving yourself freedom from the burden of anger and bitterness.  When we hold anger and resentment and bitterness in our hearts, they become huge footholds for the real Enemy.  Those destructive thoughts grow and grow and eventually will crowd out all the good things that God wants us to think on.

Jesus gave us the ultimate example. Remember the cross?  "Father, forgive them.  They don't know what they are doing."  Forgive.  Leave justice to God.  My enemy will have to answer for things he did against me.  And, I will answer for my unwillingness to forgive.  My job is to forgive and move on.  When I forgive others, God blesses me with a peace that's beyond my understand, but best of all, when I forgive, God is glorified in my life. 

Do you ever feel God isn't answering your prayers?  A heart full of unforgiveness can hinder your prayers.  Confess your sins and ask God to renew your spirit, and give you a heart full of love and mercy.  Remember Peter's words:

1 Peter 2:22-24  
He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.
He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God, ho always judges fairly.
He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right.  By his wounds you are healed.

 http://youtu.be/KOIsjx2VwaM - Blessed Redeemer - Casting Crowns

Ephesians 4:23-27 
Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.   25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.


Holy Father, You are so merciful to me.  I fail every day, yet Your mercies for me are new every morning.  I am so thankful that You have removed my sins from me as far as east is to west.  You look at me, and You don't see all my sins and shortcomings, You see the Righteousness of Jesus. His precious blood covers me.

Who am I, Lord?  I accept Your forgiveness, but then I fail to forgive others? Why can't I forgive and forget, Lord?  Please help me forgive the person who injured me.  I know I cannot do this on my own, only in Your Strength, Your Grace and Your Love. Fill my heart with Your mercy so that I can be merciful.  Father, You've forgiven me so much.  Without Your mercy, I couldn't dare approach Your Throne.  Thank You, Lord.  Thank You, Jesus, for covering me with Your Righteous.  Please purify my heart of any bitterness, anger, resentment, no matter how justified I may feel.  You forgave me.  Help me to forgive others. Now, please give me the means to forget this pain.  I don't want to keep bringing it up and picking at the wound.  Help me, Lord, as weak as I am, to forgive the offender and forget the pain. I ask these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, my Redeemer. Amen.


I heard Paul Yonggi Cho speak a few years back. Yonggi ChoYonggi Cho’s own family during WWII. The Japanese were his Ninevites. 

Through a combination of a prolonged inner struggle, several direct challenges from others, and finally an urgent and starkly worded invitation, Cho felt called by God to preach in Japan. He went, but he went with bitterness. The first speaking engagement was to a pastor’s conference—1,000 Japanese pastors. Cho stood up to speak, and what came out of his mouth was this: “I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.” And then he broke and wept. He was both brimming and desolate with hatred.
At first one, then two, then all 1,000 pastors stood up. One by one they walked up to Yonggi Cho, knelt at his feet and asked forgiveness for what they and their people had done to him and his people. As this went on, God changed Yonggi Cho. The Lord put a single message in his heart and mouth: “I love you. I love you. I love you.”

Sometimes God calls us to do what we least want to do in order to reveal our heart—to reveal what’s really in our heart. How powerful is the blood of Christ? Can it heal hatred between Koreans and Japanese? Can it make a Jew love a Ninevite? Can it make you reconciled to…well, you know who?
                            —Mark Buchanan, Your God Is Too Safe (Multnomah, 2001)

Ephesians 4:32Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Mark 11:25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.

 Matthew 18:21-35
 21 Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
 22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!
 23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.
 26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.
 28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.
 29 “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.
 31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.
 35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

http://youtu.be/cjhxOv9YDag  - Who Am I - Casting Crowns

Lord, You never let go of me!


Every time I hear this song, I feel His strength rise up inside of me.  No matter what I may have to face today, He will be with me. He never lets go. 

Seriously, if God is with me, whom then shall I fear? 

http://youtu.be/RB1NJV3rG6k - You Never Let Go - Matt Redman


Doing hard things

Esther 4:14For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Has God placed you in a situation that is uncomfortable?  A place that makes you vulnerable to the attack of others?  Just like He did with Esther, He sometimes gives us opportunities to be His special instrument.  Listening to His Voice instead of the lies of Satan is not always easy to do.  To discern truth from lies, we must ask ourselves which "Voice" is more in line with God's written Word.  Which direction will promote God's purpose?  Which voice speaks of God's character?

Do not be afraid of man who can only destroy the body. 

Mt 10:28 
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

We must be willing to do the hard things.  God tells us over and over again: "Don't be afraid", "Fear not! I am with you.", "Be courageous!"  I can't begin to list all the times God tells us to be strong in His mighty power.  He's saying "I'm right here next to you.  I am not going to leave you alone to fight this battle.  You will win because I'll be fighting for you."   He's promised to be with us.  Almighty God, Creator of the Universe has promised to get us through any struggle, so why are we afraid to go where He leads us?

My grand kids love being in the pool. Every year, the first time they go down the slide, they're a little afraid.  They're not too sure they have the ability to get to the side of the pool after they hit the water.  But each year, their dad is there at the bottom of the slide, waiting, ready to whisk them out of the water if they get into trouble.  In the beginning, there's lots of conversation about how they can trust their dad to keep them safe. Eventually, they take that leap of faith, and of course, Dad is there, just like he promised.

Our Father has promised to stand by us, to catch us when we might fall.  He even promises to keep our feet from stumbling.  Just like my grand kids trust their father, we, too, can trust our Father.
It helps me to remember how God has empowered those who have gone before. 

Esther, Moses, Joshua, Gideon and many others were called to do things that were not in their comfort zones.  They were asked to put themselves in dangerous positions, to speak truth, to go forth into battle when they felt totally inadequate to do so.  One of my favorite stories is of Gideon. 

Gideon  was chosen by God to lead the Israelites against their enemy, the Midianites.  He was a reluctant hero.  The Angel of the LORD (some believe this was Jesus himself) appeared to Gideon as he was threshing wheat in a wine-press.  This is our first clue that Gideon was afraid of the Midianites. The wine press was a much less vulnerable place than the threshing-floor.  Threshing wheat was normally done in the open where the wind blowing through the wheat could help separate the wheat from the chaff.  The wine press would most likely have troughs and tunnels - low lying areas.  Working in the wine press would offer less visibility for the enemy compared to the threshing floor. So, it's likely that Gideon was trying to hide from the Midianites.

But the Angel of the LORD called out to Gideon, "The LORD is with you, mighty man of valor!".  I'm guessing Gideon wasn't feeling very courageous at that point.  After all, he was hiding from the enemy.  We look at Gideon in that wine press, and our reaction might not be "Here's the man who will lead the Israelites against their enemy!"  But God doesn't look at the outside.  He looks at the heart.  When He looked at Gideon, HE saw a man who would be willing to trust HIM for the strength and power needed to lead the Israelites.  And Gideon became a a mighty man of valor through the power of Almighty God.

2 Corinthians 12:9
⁹ But he said to me, "My grace is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak."

We can be mighty men (and women)  of valor, too, when we put our trust in God.  I love the passage in 2 Corinthians 12:9.  Paul tells us that God's grace is sufficient - all we need. And when we feel weak and ineffective, that's our cue to put our complete trust in HIM.  Then we are acting with His Strength, not our own.  So when we are weak, that's when we are strongest.

2 Corinthians 12:9b-10
So I am very happy to brag about how weak I am. Then Christ's power can rest on me. ¹⁰ Because of how I suffered for Christ, I'm glad that I am weak. I am glad in hard times. I am glad when people say mean things about me. I am glad when things are difficult. And I am glad when people make me suffer. When I am weak, I am strong.

HE's giving you an opportunity to be His hands and feet in a situation, He knows your heart.  He knows you will be willing to trust Him.  No, you can't do it on your own, but you won't have to.  HE will be your strength. 

 The Lord is with you, mighty man of valor!

                    

If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room,

I would not fear a million enemies. 

Yet distance makes no difference.   He is praying for me.

                                                         - Robert Murray M'Cheyne

 

 http://youtu.be/MKSyFOsAp6c - When the Night is Falling - Dennis Jernigan

 
For such a time as this?

13 Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. 14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”  Esther 4:13-14


Difficulties and obstacles are God's challenges to faith. When hindrances confront us in the path of duty, we are to recognize them as vessels for faith to fill with the fullness and all-sufficiency of Jesus; and as we go forward, simply and fully trusting Him, we may be tested, we may have to wait and let patience have her perfect work; but we shall surely find at last the stone rolled away, and the Lord waiting to render unto us double for our time of testing. --A. B. Simpson