May 9 Morning

 

Judges 7:13-14 (NIV)¹³ Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. "I had a dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed."¹⁴ His friend responded, "This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands."

 

Gideon was still uncertain about taking this vast army with just 300 men. The Lord had appeared to him, consumed his offering, made the fleece dry and the ground wet, the ground dry and the fleece wet, but still he needed more reassurance. Remember this is the guy that the Angel of the LORD called a mighty warrior. Finally God tells him to go down and listen to the conversations in the tents. He sneaks into the Midianite camp and hears the above story. Some people call that a coincidence. I call it a Godincidence. If God is the God of all then the things I hear and the situations I run across are the hand of God and I need to recognize them as such.

Finally Gideon has the confidence that God is in this. Don't be discouraged if you need extra assurance that God is in something. He is more than able to show you He is. Just be sure you are open to Godincidences revealing His will. Once you know it, don't make excuses, act.

The LORD went ahead of Gideon and prepared the way for the victory God was about to bring. He goes ahead of you, too, when you are walking in His will and following His leading. Trust and do not fear.

 

Consider: God is in the details of your life to encourage and guide you.

May 9

Matthew 12:48-50 (NIV) 48 He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

The Gospel account rarely mentions the family of Jesus after he visited Samaria. After the resurrection there was a change, but during his ministry they did not follow Him. This is the rare exception. Jesus must have been speaking to a packed crowd in a building. His family sent word in that they wanted to speak to Him. Jesus response was not a rejection of his family. He was teaching a deep truth. Family that matters most are those that do the will of the Father in heaven.

We don't seem to grasp the fullness of that truth today. Our assemblies are more like a place where we get together with like-minded friends than family. There are many exceptions. Small groups tend to grow more family minded. If you are not in a small group of around a dozen, seek one out. Take time in those groups to pray for one another's concerns. Encourage one another to do the will of the Father even when the price is high. Then stand by and support one another.

Do you consider those who do the will of the Father your mother and brother and sister? It is not that they profess the same mindset, or conform to the same style, or are in the same social class. The unity is built around obedience to God. In that, you share the same Spirit. You share the same experience of walking by faith and not by sight. You share the same struggle with the rejection and misunderstand of men. You don't even need to share the same culture or language. It is the same love that beats within your heart. You have the same Father, the same desire to please Him, therefore you are brothers, forever!