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It’s done – it’s finished – we made a decision, there is no going back now. Tuesday my husband had to turn in his paperwork letting the company that he had worked for, for 20 years know that he was …. staying.
What? How in the world is it even possible for him to keep his job when it’s moving out of state and we aren’t moving?
GOD!
God’s Favor is a miraculous and amazing thing. The choice to stay is making us completely trust God to continue working out the details, but we really felt He confirmed it.
Tweet ThisIn the meantime, I will be Planting Trees with the lemons we’ve received over the last few weeks and begin tending to the orchard God has given me – Dare 2 Hear, my writing and speaking career plus a few other new things. I can see now why God gave me the word ADVANCE as my #ONEWORD for 2016.
In some ways, this has been an exciting faith filled journey, and at others times, it has been filled with uncertainty, doubt and even some fear.
This week, I wrap up with Part 2 of Where’s Your Trust looking at lessons from the life of Gideon.
Remember last week when I asked these questions?:
Have you ever noticed that Gods ways are not our ways?
Have you ever noticed His math is not like our math?
Have you ever noticed that His plans never really make logical sense?
Finally, have you ever noticed that Gods plans require your total trust and reliance on Him?
Yet, Gods plans are always exactly what is need to bring about victory and success!
Gideon’s story in Judges 7:3-22 is one of the stories that has you answering YES to each of the above questions.
Over the last 6 weeks as we have wrestled with the decision of how our family would earn a living, and replace my husband’s income, yet still pastor at the church, these questions have been going over and over in my mind, and not just in relation to the stories in the Bible, but in regards to my own life.
Last week in Where’s Your Trust? Part 1: Trusting God in the Face of Fear I shared how God does not want us to place our trust in others or even in our own abilities. Instead, He wants us to place our trust and confidence in Him and Him alone!
As I wrap this Gideon series up, I want to look at God’s battle plan. His battle plan is complete trust and faith in God.
God needed to get Gideon and the Israelites to a place where they were totally relying on Him. Not their own strength and abilities. God had a great purpose and destiny for them, one which was WAY bigger than anything they could ever accomplish on their own. He has the same for us too.
After God dealt with Gideon’s trust and faith-vs-fear issues, we see Him giving His battle plan for victory in Judges 7:16- 21
The Battle Plan seemed simple enough, but by our logical human standards it makes absolutely no sense.
Battle Plan
3 groups of 100 men would surround the camp
Each Man would have a:
- Horn
- Clay Pot & Torch inside
- Everyone would Yell at the appropriate time: “ A sword for the Lord & for Gideon!”
When Gideon had gathered the men and were about to begin implementing Gods strategy for battle, it was the middle watch. The middle watch was about 10pm so many in the camp could have still been awake. Not exactly the element of surprise most leaders would want when going into battle.
Gideon’s army of 300 men was divided and every man was given a trumpet, a clay pot, and a torch inside their pot. The trumpets were likely left behind when all the other soldiers had returned home under God’s direction.
All righty then, so each man carried a horn in one hand and a clay pot with a torch in the other?
Where were their swords?
How were they supposed to cut down the enemy or even defend themselves?
Why in the world would God have them carrying trumpets, torches, and clay pots into battle?
Trumpets:
Trumpets, much like the bugles of the US Cavalry, were used to signal the attack of a large body of men. We saw the trumpets being sounded at Wall of Jericho on the last day after the final lap around the great walled city. After the horns blew, the walls came tumbling down.
Usually not every man in the army had a trumpet. It was common practice to have a trumpeter and a torch bearer for each company of men. So when 300 men blew their trumpets all at once, it would be a signal to the enemy that many more men would be with each trumpeter.
Trumpets were used during the fighting to give all types of signals, so the Midianites could just imagine that there were at least 300 companies of soldiers coming down upon them.
Jars – Clay Pots & Light
Then Gideon took those 300 men with a trumpet in one hand and handed them an empty pitcher made of clay in the other hand.
Inside this Jar (Pitcher) he placed a lamp, or torch. When the time was right, they would strike their pitchers against one another causing a loud sound and the light would suddenly burst forth to light their path to the enemy’s camp and thus confuse the Midianites because they also knew that not every soldier carried a torch into battle.
Commonly, only a few men would light the way while most would follow with their weapons drawn for battle.
We (You and I) are those earthen vessels and inside each of us God has placed His light. It’s time for us to break our ‘vessel of clay’ and fully surrender to God.
Matthew 5:16 Let your light sine before men
Isaiah 64:8 He is the potter and I am the clay (& Jeremiah 18:5)
2 Corinthians 4:6-7 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
I want to fully trust God and stand in faith pushing past the fear that may come my way. I want to say yes to God even when I don’t understand, or can’t figure it out.
Prayer:
God utilize us, as your vessels to strike fear into the powers of darkness and defeat the enemy on his own ground. We want Your light oh God to shine out of us for all to see!
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My Post: “The Journey through Change” was featured here:
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Sunday’s
Monday’s
What Joy is Mine/Monday Musings
Tuesday’s
Wednesday’s
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Friday’s:
Saturday’s:
Awesome, Powerful, Perfectly timed for Me. Our God is So Awesome.
..You as Thee Precious Daughter of the King of All Kings…
Were Obedient and It Blessed Me Greatly..
Thank you So Much.
Christie – thank you so much, I am so glad this was exactly what you needed when you need it. God’s timing is always perfect isn’t it!?
I love when God reminds us throughout the year why he gave us the word he did at the beginning of the year. Advance is a powerful word! Trusting in God’s plan is an advance in itself.
Lisa – this is my first year asking God for 1 word and I was so excited to receive it — and then I didn’t hear much in regards to it since the first few months, and then all of a sudden, He reminds me. It is such a powerful word and I am excited to see where else trusting in God leads me this year
I love the times when I stand back in amazement and watch God using trumpets and clay pots to do something amazing that I could never have imagined. Thanks for your strong words today.
Michele – you are so very welcome – and yes, isn’t it great and amazing to see what God can accomplish with ordinary things we don’t place a high regard for? God always amazes me in that way.
Great post. Love the story of Gideon. 🙂 I was drawn to your post because of the lantern – I LOVE lanterns!!!
I love lanterns too! My front porch is filled with them large and small. So glad you stopped by for a visit.
It’s amazing how God chooses to use cracked pots like us to display His glory, right? Thanks for unpacking Gideon’s story for us, Debbie. Blessings
yes, sometimes it is so shocking and yet, I should have expected it. You are welcome – have an awesome day Lyli
So glad you’ve been able to make a decision! God always has things under control even when everything looks confusing to us. He wants us to trust him fully, not relying on our own strength. Thanks, Debbie, for sharing at #LMMLinkup! Blessings to you!
Gayl – we are too – it was down to the wire – as in 1 hour before it had to be made – but God is always right on time!
Isn’t it amazing that sometimes it seems to take forever to get an answer that we have been waiting for? It could be an entire year, or decade of our life. That’s a long time to wait when we only live a human life span. And a decade is like a blink in the eye to God. It’s amazing that He can pay attention to each and everyone of us at the same time. His time is so different. It’s slower and faster at the same time. I can’t wait to one day see what it’s like to be in a place where we can see and hear Him. It’s going to be incredible!
YES – it totally amazes me how waiting seems like it takes a lifetime, when in reality it isn’t that long at all. LOL Oh yes, when we can see and hear Him with our own eyes and ears – it will be glorious! Bring it on is what my heart is screaming right now. Thanks for your thoughts today