The Feed Mill

Today’s Bible Reading: Judges 6-8

Today’s Devotional: Judges 6:1-27

The cycle continues yet again, and is a pattern for man throughout history for a litmus test for us for what it looks like when we have began to lean on our own understanding or that of this worlds. We hope to find the trust in a well planted cedar tree to lean on or a strong cane, but instead we find ourselves pressing on a reed which snaps and gives varying degrees of consequences for trusting in something which falls way short of God Himself.

Once we grow strong it is common that man places their trust and desire into what we have received. The pattern of man is what we see through scripture and history, exactly opposite of what God desires for us; to be content with everything that is in Him. Judges 5:31, we see their 40 years of rest brought prosperity which is good, but it also brought complacency in the things of the Lord. So the Lord in His Grace allowed the children to taste and see where this complacency in the Lord leads first hand by sending those who’s actions they were imitating.

Their sin brought them into humiliation and having to hide. Before they would cry out to the Lord they had to humble themselves that their ways, the ways of the world, and the ways of those around them are not best.

Their departing from the Lord made all their hard work profitless. Sin and the systems of this world do this, it robs us of what we work hard to gain. All is lost in order to gain what seemed right in their own eyes, instead of what the Lord knows is right for us.

Judges 6:7-10 in response to Israel finally having their fill of what was best in their own eyes, the Lord raised up a prophet.

Judges 6:11-27 and the Lord calls one to deliver them, Israel didn’t send for Gideon or send him to deliver them, nor did Gideon send himself; It’s the Lord who called him, sent him, and equipped him. It’s waiting on the Lord for Him to move that is important in any season.

Gideon’s calling 6:14-16 “to go in this might of yours”

• Humble – threshing wheat on the winepress floor

• Caring – he cared about the low place that Israel has found themselves

• Knowledge – he knew God did great things in the past from His Word to them

• Spiritually hungry – he wanted to see God do great things here and now, again

• Teachable – he listened to what the Angel of the Lord said and did them

• Weak – God’s strength was perfected in his weakness, 2 Corinthians 12:9

God used to confirm Gideon’s calling was fire which rose from the rock, the Holy Spirit which burns in us from the rock of His Word.

Our hearts then should worship the Lord and not seek to attract attention to ourselves. The to remove the things which we have allowed to take our attention and focus away from the Lord and no longer Him and His Word as the love and purpose of our life.

And as Paul encouraged, the Christians, in Philippi in Philippians 4 the lesson then is to learn how to stay in this mindset so that wether we abound or are abased we can be content in the calling of the Lord.