From Judges 7:

1. God designed the battle so it looked as if the deck was stacked against Gideon and the children. Why? Because God did not want the people to be able to say they delivered themselves. (V. 1-2).

2. God cannot use people who are afraid. Those that were fearful to fight were the first to be excluded. (V. 3).

3. How you react when you are tried (by God) matters. Those that bowed there knee and drank from the river were also excluded. But they that used there hand and brought water to there mouth and lapped were chosen. (V. 5-6).

4. As the scriptures said, many are called, few are chosen. Same verses above. When Gideon called the people to battle 32,000 came willingly. God could not use them all. Fear took out 20,200. Poor reaction took out another 2,700. God would only use the remaining 300 plus Gideon.

5. God knows us and knows what we need to be strengthened for battle (to do his will). God told Gideon to go down and hear what the people are saying. God gave the people dreams of their defeat by the hand of Gideon. (V. 13-15).

6. God DOES speak to his people, and they hear and understand. Not just in this chapter, but to all the Judges. God spoke, they heard (recognized) God, obeyed.

Be Encouraged

If it seems as if your battle is to hot and there is no way out or for you to win. Do not throw in the towel. God is just about to show you who he is.

Do not give into fear. Trust the perfect love of God, it casts out fear and her torments.

Check your reaction in any given situation. God does have a standard that he expects you to maintain. Do not be less that who he has called you to be.

You are chosen by God. Your are anointed, justified, and qualified to do the work.

God knows how to deal with you to prepare you for the work. You can (and will) operate in the spirit of excellence.

I don’t care who you are or what you have done. God is always speaking to his people. You will understand when God speaks to you.

Judges 6: 10

“And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not… ”

There are times when the cares of this life are so strong. Times when the enemy will use the issues of life to sneak in and try to steal from you.

If we are not vigilant and watchful, we will find ourselves at a low point and very susceptible to the wiles of the enemy. I found myself in a place such as this. But I am reminded of what Jesus told Peter in Luke 22:31-32, “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. ”

It is a blessing to know that God is always with us, strengthen our faith.

During this time in the valley, God comforted me with these words, I am the Lord your God; fear not. It does not matter what comes after the ‘fear not.’ What does matter is the ‘I am the Lord your God.’

He is my God. He is whatever I need him to be. He is the great I Am, and he is my God. My savior, my deliverer, my protector, my provider, the list is endless. My God is every thing I need him to be. He is always with me. For this reason, I can stand is a place of ‘fear not’ because whatever comes next my God is there, being whatever I need him to be.

If you fear, they you have not faith. Fear and faith cannot operate at the same time.

God’s perfect love casts out fear. According to 1 John 4;18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. ”

God has called us to peace, not torment.

Be watchful, be vigilant. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by the things going on in your life. Don’t give place (or room) to the devil. Let God be the head, the center of your life. Shake your self. Go back to praying, reading and meditating on the Word of God.

Then…fear not. There is nothing that can happen that you and God cannot handle.

Have a blessed day!

Judges 2:1-3

“1. And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you

2. And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?

3. Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.”

God is an awesome God. He is ever speaking to his children. He is faithful to give us comfort, encouragement, strength, peace, direction, and warnings (just to name a few things).

Whenever God is speaking we should be diligent to take heed to his words. This is especially so when he warns us. This is usually to keep us from doom or some forthcoming tragedy. We may not understand the warning at the time it is given, but we should still be obedient.

Keep the words God has dropped into your heart, mind, or spirit. Don’t allow the enemy to steel them, and don’t you disregard them because it was not what you wanted to hear. I guarantee what God spoke will come to pass. He promised his word will not return to him void, but will accomplish what he sent them to (Isaiah 55:11).

What has God warned you concerning?

Have you taken heed? Have you been obedient? Or have you failed to make the necessary corrections to your behavior, and chosen to do what you wanted to instead?

Ask your self, “why have you done this?”

Are you in a place where everything seems to be going wrong, and you don’t understand why?

Remember, God does not bless over mess. But he does accept a true repentant heart. And he will then give you grace to bear what you must go through as a result of your disobedience. God’s Word is true. You will reap what you have sown (God cannot lie).

It is a blessing to know that we serve a forgiving God. However, to obtain his forgiveness we must first acknowledge the wrong we have done. Then do a 180 degree turn, and repent with the intention of never doing the thing again. God is faithful, he will accept you.

Moving forward be mindful of the voice of God. We, as his children, hear his voice. Our job is to obey. We can do this and be successful. We can (and should) live a blessed life that brings glory to our father. This requires obedience.

The Bible tells us to examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5, 2 Peter 1:10-11). No body knows you better than you know yourself. You should know when you are failing and when you are pleasing God. Examine yourself in the light of the word of God. If you are pleasing him, well done – keep doing what you are doing. If you are not pleasing him – repent and get yourself together. Be obedient to his word.

It all starts with you, and your desire for a better life.

Love and blessings to you.