05/23/2017 —
You are a man or woman of valor, and with God on your side you have the ability
to defeat any devil that may come against you. Don’t worry about the numbers that
may or may not be on your side, because your victory is assured when you rely on
Him! Be encouraged and let the Holy Spirit revive your dream — it’s time to dream
again!
EDUCATION
Hebrews 11:32–34
"And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell
of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who through
faith subdued kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths
of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness
were made strong, became valiant in fighting, and turned the armies of foreign enemies
to flight.” (MEV).
Judges 7:1–25
"Then Jerub–Baal (that is, Gideon) and all the people
who were with him got up early and set up camp at Harod Spring. There was a camp
of Midianites to the north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The Lord
said to Gideon, 'You have too many people with you for Me to give the Midianites
into their hands, lest Israel glorify themselves over Me, saying, "Our own
power saved us." So now, call out so the people can hear, "Whoever is
afraid or anxious may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.”' So twenty–two
thousand from among the people turned back, and ten thousand were left.
But the Lord said to Gideon, 'There are still too many people. Bring them down
to the water, and I will test them for you there. When I say to you, "This
one will go with you," he will go with you. Everyone about whom I will say,
"This one will not go with you," will not go.'
So he brought the people down to the water, and the Lord said to Gideon, 'You
shall set apart by himself everyone who laps the water with his tongue like dogs;
likewise, everyone who kneels down to drink.' The number of those who lapped,
putting their hands to their mouths, was three hundred. The rest of the people had
knelt to drink water.
The Lord said to Gideon, 'With three hundred men who lapped to drink,
I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. All the rest of
the people should go home.' So the three hundred men took provisions
and ram's horn trumpets in their hands. Gideon sent all the other Israelite
men to their tents, but he kept the three hundred men.
Now the Midianite camp was below him in the valley. That night the Lord said to
him, 'Get up and go down into the camp, for I have given it into your hands.
Yet if you are afraid to go down, then go down to the camp with Purah your servant.
Listen to what they say, and afterward you will be emboldened to go down to the
camp.' So he and Purah his servant went down near the edge of the camp. Now
the Midianites, Amalekites, and the Kedemites covered the valley like locusts; and
their camels could not be counted, for they were as numerous as grains
of sand on the seashore.
Gideon came and overheard one man who was telling his dream to another. The man
said, 'Listen to a dream I had. I saw a dry cake of barley bread rolling into
the Midianite camp. It rolled up to a tent and struck it. It fell, turned upside
down, and collapsed.'
The other man responded, 'This is none other than the sword of Gideon son of
Joash the Israelite. God has given Midian and the whole camp into his hands.'
When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshipped,
returned to the camp of Israel, and said, 'Get up, for the Lord has given the
Midianite camp into your hands.' He divided the three hundred men into three
combat units. He gave all of them ram's horn trumpets, empty jars, and torches
within the jars.
He said to them, 'Look at me and do likewise. Watch, and when I come to the
perimeter of the camp, do as I do. When I and all who are with me blow the horn,
then you will blow the horns all around the camp and shout, "For the Lord and
for Gideon!" '
So Gideon and a hundred men with him went to the edge of the camp at the start of
the middle night watch, just as they were setting the watch. Then they blew the
horns and smashed the jars in their hands. The three combat units blew the horns
and broke the jars. They held the torches in their left hands and the horns for
blowing in their right hands. They called out, 'A sword for the Lord and for
Gideon!' Every man stood in his place all around the camp, but the men in the
camp ran, shouted, and fled.
When they blew the three hundred horns, the Lord turned every man's sword against
his fellow man throughout the camp. The Midianite camp fled to Beth Shittah
in the direction of Zererah, up to the border of Abel Meholah, near Tabbath. The
men of Israel from Naphtali, Asher, and all of Manasseh were summoned, and they
chased after the Midianites. Now Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country
of Ephraim, saying, 'Come down to engage Midian in battle. Take control of the
water ways as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan.'
All the men ofEphraim were summoned, and they took control of the water ways
as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan. They captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite commanders.
They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and killed Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They
chased after the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on
the other side of the Jordan” (MEV).
APPLICATION
- It is the determined purpose of God that whatever you were fighting on the way here
you’ll never face again.
- You can hide like the Israelites, or you can hide like Gideon hid. You can’t
hide from your adversary unless you hide in Him, in the Cross.
- Gideon’s story tells us that strength is not always found in numbers. It’s
entirely possible, if not probable, for the church to decline in number and increase
in the fulfillment of its assignment. God found Gideon. He was the least of the
least.
- He has called you, beloved. He has called you His own. He’s called you above
and not beneath, the first and not the last. It doesn’t matter what they’ve
called you or even what you’ve said of yourself. Tell the devil to dream on!
- Every devil arrayed against you knows your name. But whoever is arrayed against
you is more afraid of you that you are of him or her!
IMPARTATION
Heavenly Father,
It is incredibly humbling and motivating to realize that You know my name, that
You see my struggle and, most importantly, that You are longing to fight with me.
Order my steps that I may call on You in my time of need.
My enemies are powerless against You, and because that is true they are more afraid
of me than I could ever be of them! Help me trust you in every situation that I
am facing today and will face in the future. Thank You for being my deliverer and
my deliverance, my strength and my shield.
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ — Jehovah Joshua Messiah — I pray. Amen!
WHC FAMILY PRAYER REQUESTS
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