By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
THURSDAY
THEME: EVEN THE ALIEN WILL TESTIFY OF GOD’S POWER
SCRIPTURE: Judges 7:14
“Then his companion answered and said, “This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the whole camp.”
REFLECTIONS
Those who walk with God must be courageous and fearless. Their paths are well carved out, straightened, and ordered by God, their constant defense and permanent refuge. God remains concerned about the sufferings and dangers His people endure and will act when appropriate. The atrocities that are meted out to people, especially those who trust Him, will not be overlooked. In every situation, God displays His enormous power on behalf of those who seek His help and wait on Him. But for the defiant, God will ignore.
Israel was under attack by the Midianites, who had impoverished them (Judges 6:1-6). The people of Israel felt forsaken by God and cried to God for help. In response, Judges 6:12 reveals, “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him [Gideon], and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” God chose Gideon and empowered him. It is written, “Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”, verse 14. Gideon gave excuses that his clan was the weakest in Manasseh and he was the least in his father’s house; therefore, he couldn’t save Israel (verse 15). When he recognized his weakness, God strengthened him with His promise in verse 16, “And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.” When the end of your ability is reached, God will step in. When you feel incapable, God will make you capable.
In Chapter 7 of Judges, God prepares the grounds for Gideon to win the fight against the Midianites. Of the 32,000 troops that followed him, God reduced it to just 300. Verse 9 reveals, “. . . on the same night . . . The Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.” To instill courage in Gideon, God led him to the camp of the enemy, where he was made to hear a dream narrated and its interpretation given. Strengthened by what he heard, he mobilized his 300 men and attacked the enemies. With their slogan, “The sword of the LORD and Gideon,” Israel conquered the Midianites. God won the battle for Israel with only three hundred dedicated, fearless, and willing men. Even the dream interpreter, a Midianite, acknowledged: “. . . This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand, God has delivered Midian and the whole camp.” Your victory by the Lord will be acknowledged even by your enemies.
Beloved, in your struggles, remember you have a God who cares. He is concerned about your well-being more than you may perceive. Always remember the Lord is with you (Judges 6:12) – this is a powerful promise He has given to generation after generation, including the patriarchs. It does not matter how small, deficient, incapable, and unskilled you are or how insignificant your family may be; when you surrender to God, He will supply what is lacking and make you a conqueror. Ponder over this assurance in Judges 6:23, irrespective of your present circumstances – “Then the Lord said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” Today, take with you 1 Samuel 14:6, “. . . Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few.” Act in the name of God for victory!
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 537 – “He Leadeth Me”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for His constant presence; thank God for His empowering promises; pray to keep every promise of God and stay connected to Him;
– Pray for God’s people who are living under severe and complicated situations; pray for the deprived, starving, and displaced; pray for street children and children without parental care;
– Pray for the ailing and chronically sick; pray for prisoners to have hope; pray for God to raise someone significant from deprived families to help their people;
– Pray for the nation’s peace; pray for the citizens to be positive and God-centered; pray for the unemployed who need work to do; pray for Christ’s return to be sooner.
