"The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many warriors with you." (Judges 7:2)
Do you have an army of warriors? A group of people who join you in the trenches of battle, who cover you in the foxholes of life? Everyone man, woman, and child needs an army, powerful warriors to help them through the battlefields of life. I am in total belief that God chooses the army we need and might not necessarily select those we would select to stand in the battlefield beside us.
I have been surprised by the army of warriors God has surrounded me with. A band of women and some men who hold me up in prayer, guide me when I face indecision, defend me when I am weak, care for me when I am wounded, and when times get really tough hit their knees and hide their faces in prayer on my behalf when I can't find my way through the battlefield. I am so thankful for these warriors and count it a honor to do them same for them during their battles.
We see several rich truths about victories in today's passage:
I have been surprised by the army of warriors God has surrounded me with. A band of women and some men who hold me up in prayer, guide me when I face indecision, defend me when I am weak, care for me when I am wounded, and when times get really tough hit their knees and hide their faces in prayer on my behalf when I can't find my way through the battlefield. I am so thankful for these warriors and count it a honor to do them same for them during their battles.
There are times, however, when God says "you have too many." At times during battles I take pleasure in calling on my warriors "in the name of Christian love and concern" to vent and complain about life. I call to seek their pity instead of their prayers. I think I need their time "just to listen" instead of "truth to set me free." God sharply scolds this child, telling me, "This battle is for me to win. The glory belongs to me. The victory will come to the army of my choosing." I humble myself asking for His forgiveness then follow His leading to the victory, careful to give Him the glory. (Repeat when necessary.)
We see several rich truths about victories in today's passage:
- You have the victory. God does not say you will have victory. (7:9)
- It is OK to be afraid. God does reprimand us for being afraid. (7:11)
- We should worship God during our battle. (7:15)
- The victory sometimes comes in the darkest hour. (7:19)
- You may think "I only have a ram's horn and clay pot in my armory." Faith is a great weapon of defense. (7:19)
- The victory comes in unexpected ways. The Midianites turned on each other. (7:22)
16 Comments:
Wendy, I loved your comments today; they really spoke what I have been feeling. Often times, when we realize a battle is eminent, our time can be spent rallying the troops. Yet, the first call (and maybe the only call) should be to our Heavenly Father. In times like this, we need to be willing to stand...even if it means standing alone. Standing in the center of His will is the key to victory. Another key is to look at the situation with the question, "Will God be glorified?". I believe this is why God wanted Gideon to trim the number of troops. There are so many truths in the passages we have read the last two days (or Easter Eggs as Liz called it).
Ladies, I have a prayer request today. Two boys, an elementary and middle school boy, live with their dad and grandmother. As of last night, the family had to make the decision to have all life support devices pulled from their dad. He recently suffered expolsive heart issues. Please keep these boys and grandmother in your prayers today.
A second request is for another family. Dad is fighting the effects of addiction. I wish I could say more on this issue but want to respect all the members of this precious family. They are enduring such hardships, mom needs strength, she is physically exhausted...boys need understanding and shelter from the storm...dad needs physical healing...these are only what I can see. Yet, as we have discovered, only God knows what they really need.
May God be glorified in our lives today.
Nancy
I am so thankful for the "warrior sisters" who have been fighting with me in prayer. How I needed the reminder today that victory sometimes comes in the darkest hour - "It was just after midnight" (7:19). Just after midnight. The breaking of a new dawn. How our family needs that 'new dawn' today.
New developments with my Dad yesterday and expectations and demands of the hospital leave me searching for answers. Like Gideon, may it be said of my family, "though exhasted, they continued to chase the enemy" (8:4).
Strength for today and hope for tomorrow. Dressed in my armor,
Joy
PS. Nancy, in prayer for the famililes and needs you shared. Many "Dad's" are in need these days. Thankful for a heavenly Father who is able.
Wendy, Thank you for your continued willingness to lead this band of "women warriors" in our battle/journey through the Bible. I look forward to reading everyone's comments each day.
Today, rather than sharing my nuggets, I am asking for prayers.
First, if ya'll would be willing to begin holding up my sister, Marla, in your prayers. As of yesterday, she was placed on the transplant list, and is officially waiting for a double lung transplant (due to a rare lung disorder called LAM). Our family is asking for prayers not only for my sister, but also for the family of the donor, as they will need God's peace and comfort so much. We pray that just as Nancy pointed out, that God would be glorified no matter what the outcome.
Secondly, I am getting ready to head to a retreat this weekend that I will be leading. Would you please pray for all the women who are attending and that God would move me aside so that only His truths and will are exposed?
Thank you fellow prayer warriors. Praying for you too.
Good Morning,
I'm enjoying the O.T. so much this week...realizing more and more that people back then are just like we are today! Also, just so thankful and feel so blessed that today we have Jesus inside us!
Heb. ll:32, 33 - "How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon...By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them."
Are we in the center of God's will?
Is God getting the Glory in us?
How's are faith doing?
I love, love, love what you wrote today, Wendy. I have a best friend who is saved. Used to be, every time something happened I'd call her immediately; she'd, do the same for me...however, about a year ago, I realized it was a lot of "wasted talk." I will say over the year, year plus, God has been working in this area with me...For two reasons. One, He's helping me manage my time during the day (idle talking is not productive)& it usually turns into gossip which is evil in God's eyes...
and He's taught me to go to Him first...As I've been doing this my relationship with Him has been so much sweeter. It's hard to explain and it's come about over time. Sometimes I now just go to Him. I want to "talk" to other people, but I sense a feeling to not do it. To leave it in God's hands and go on from there...Not only has my relationship been strengthened...but I'm getting TONS more done! The other thing is when I need prayer, I've started going to a "few" Godly women. These are women that immediately pray...they do not "go into the worry mode...and talk about the "what-ifs!" Prayer- Warriors that I am very blessed to have in my life. God has placed them over me. They are not coincidences in my life...God gave them to me. He's so precious! He knows there will be times when we are worried...times when we are in a situation and we don't know what to do...I have seen first-hand over and over how He always comes through...
I go to Him first...[The more you do this the easier it gets]...
Sometimes, not often...I go to my praying-warrior sisters' and through their faith and prayer, I stay right where God wants me: Seeking Him with all of my heart.
May my faith be stronger today, LORD as I seek you with all of my heart!
Have a blessed day dear ones!
Lori - Mesa, AZ
PS I am praying for each special prayer request...
PPS Those of you yesterday that mentioned your desire for your children to be close to God...
My mother prayed for me everyday through her 30,s 40s, 50s, 60's...
I was saved. I went to church. I volunteered, etc. She knew however, that I was not reading His Word everyday...She knew the difference that makes in a person's life. She continued to pray...
God in His time blessed her! I have such a personal walk and relationship with my Father now...it was not her time, but His time...God works in ways that we least expect. Continue praying. He will answer your prayers. He wants a relationship with these girls too! He won't do it your way tho. :) Pray fervently & daily...and LOVE, love, love them. Show them love unconditionally...and they will want what you have. My sons are both saved and very involved at church. They are in small groups and do a Bible Study with boy's their age...however, they are not reading scriptures everyday...
Since I've been doing this, (reading the Bible)I see the value in it. It is the only way, in this evil world. Daily I pray something like:
Dear LORD, my deepest desire for ___ & ___ is that they love YOU with all of their heart. I want them to wake up in the morning and have you on their thoughts as their eye lashes open up. I want You, Lord, to be on their mind through out the day till their heads touch their pillows at night. I want you to guide them througout their days so that their feet stay on your path. I want them to fear you and love you with every bone in their body. I want the Bible to be their most favorite possession. I pray Lord You will give them a desire to seek you and cling to you daily. Keep opening their hearts for you. Thank you Lord that you have given me these two precious teenagers. Thank you that you, Jesus,are in both of their hearts. Thank you for the Christian boys you have sprinkled around them...Lord, I pray that you will protect them and bless them today. I Love you Lord, in Jesus name, Amen.
Thank you ladies for your words yesterday, today and throughout this study. Wendy, I agree with you that we sometimes rely on the warriors that God puts around us too readily when what we really need to do is look to Him. Lori, your example that idle talk leads to gossip is right on.
However, I tend to be a private person. I share my head and my heart knowledge, but not too much of my personal struggles. I rarely ask for people to pray for me or my family. This is my sin of self-sufficiency. I think God gives you the warriors you need at your side. He expects for you to use them in your battles. As you said Wendy, He picks just who you need even if you wouldn't have picked them for yourself. (1Corinthians 12:24b-27) But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Nancy, I have prayed for the families you listed today. Kristen, I have also lifted you up in both your ministry opportunity and for your sister’s healing (how very scary)! Joy, you are daily in my prayers. Thank you all for being among the warriors I need each day.
Karen, CA
Wendy...your post of "I HAVE victory" not "I WILL have victory" was a HUGE aha moment for me. Thank you for that.
A nugget for me today was when Jotham states "If you have acted honorably and in good faith then may you find joy".
A good rule for us to live by and follow. Examine the situation and if you know you've acted honorably and in good faith that there is joy.
Prayers to all.
Morgen - MN
....the Israelites will boast to ME that they saved themselves by their own strength. Judges 7:2
The Lord was concerned about what his people would say to him. The Lord longs for us to exalt him and confess how completely dependent we are on him for everything.
May we all lavish praises upon our Lord for the victories "HE" has won in our lives and those we are so blessed to pray for.
Praying for all!
Debbie - North Carolina
Quick stop to say I am reading this week, but my son has been sick. He had to go back to the doctor today because he was up all night last night coughing. He just has a lot of drainage and are pursuing some specialized allergy testing and screenings for him. His sinus troubles have been going on since he was a year and a half. I might not be on much for a while. Trying to get some rest myself from being up with him and I am undergoing a bunch of tests next week myself for the same problems.
God's Blessings and Prayers~
Brandee
Thanks Wendy and everyone for the insights. Really getting alot out of the reading right now. God is opening up my eyes to things every time I am opening His Word lately and I LOVE it!
I got a nugget from Jotham’s parable (Judges 9:7-15). I know what I am sharing doesn't relate to this parable, which is a curse, but this stood out to me about the trees themselves.
Each tree had a different function, and accepted what they were created to be. They were comfortable in their own bark, so to speak :) They understood their purpose, and how it affected the good of others. They didn’t need recognition to know their worthiness, “Should I quit producing… just to wave back and forth over the trees?”
Each of us has been given at least one spiritual gift to be use for God’s glory. When we use our gift for His kingdom work, it affects the good of others. When we try to do something we are not called to do, then we are just busy (waving back and forth), not productive!
I pray each one of us would be a beautiful tree who understands her worth in the Creator's plan. “She will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jer 17:8
Blessings from...
The Evergreen Holly, with the gift of giving (you know, Christmas spirit :)lol
Susan, that is great! Thanks for sharing that insight!
My “Warrior Sisters”
It use to be when something happened and I needed help I ran to the nearest friend. I picked up the phone and asked why is this happening to me. Please feel sorry for me or be with me I can’t face this alone. Over the last 7 years or so it has not been that way. I am not in any way perfect, but more times than not I can remember to go to God first. I have what I call my “Christian Counsel”, made of 5 ladies that I trust with all my heart. They vary in age, marital status, kids and wisdom. When I need to get gut honest about something to another human being, then I go to my CC after praying who to go to. Sometimes I only need one of them. By trusting this group of women I find that I don’t feel so exposed. It also reminds me to go to Him first and try to leave it at the cross. I love that each of us feels that we can lay our prayer request out to one another here.
Oh God of Healing,
Abba Father,
Prince of Peace,
Hear my “Warrior Sister’s” as they cry out. Father these prayers they ask are all for others in their lives. How selfless of them Lord! Whatever your will I ask that it be done. May there be peace brought upon these requests and Lord touch those tender places that only you can go. Father we place our trust in you, Amen.
These young boys who will loose their father and have to face a life without him.
Another family where the father is dealing with addiction and strength is needed by his loved ones
A father who is battles dementia and a family who struggles to find a way into his mind.
A dear sister who needs a double lung transplant. Then the comfort of a family loosing a loved one for her to have it.
A sister heading to lead a retreat and have the Lord speak through her. Allowing women to hear about this loving God we serve.
The child a mother nurses back to health.
A special comfort needed around a family requested for this particular date
Love to all,
Diane
Thanks so much for your prayers, today. The boys I mentioned, lost their dad this morning. I don't know that this family has a relationship with God and I pray they will find truth and comfort in our Lord.
These two boys have a loving grandmother left to raise them. I pray that God will give them peace.
Again ladies, I truely thank you for your continued prayer.
Nancy
I will pray the Lord send just the right mentor for the. Blessings.
Diane
Diane,
Thank you for your sweet, sweet prayer!
What a wonderful fresh word to my heart, thanks!!
good morning ladies,
with respect to calling on God and not just chatting it up and mulling over our problems over and over and over, joyce meyer says it so well..."run to the Throne, not the phone!'
love,
amy jane
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