But Lord, how can I …

Judges 6:15, 16

God does not look at outward appearances or even our physical strengths (or lack of them). He searches to find those whose hearts are open to Him so that He can work through them.

Gideon stated that he was the “weakest in Manasseh and the least in my father’s house.” So of the thousands of Israelites, God chose someone who said that they were the weakest in their tribe, the least in their family. He didn’t choose the one who looked like he could whoop some, well, you know what. He didn’t chose one who was great in his tribe or family. He chose Gideon. And I think this is why. In Judges 6:13, we see that Gideon is questioning why war has come to Israel, why they have become impoverished, why the nations are rising up against them, when they should be the ones taking the land. He questioned. He rememberd the stories from his fathers about the Lord’s miracles and the Lord bringing them up out of Egypt.

Seek the Lord, remember his promises, remember what He has done in our lives and in the lives of those that went before us. He uses those who seek His face and remember His deeds.

I want to be used by God.

War and Peace

Leonard Jones had posted a bulletin about peace and war and in this bulletin, he said, “peace does not mean an absence of war, but in the Kingdom that is inside of me there is peace in the midst of war”.

I had been reading the book of Judges. Israel had been told to drive out the inhabitants of the land He had given them. But after Joshua’s death, the Israelites fought, took over the land, but did not drive out the inhabitants. In Judges 3:1-2 the Lord shows us that the Lord used the enemies still living in the land to teach the Israelites to know war. I think it’s important for us to know war. To not sit back and peacefully accept the enemy in our land i.e. sickness. We are to fight the enemy. How? With the tools that the Lord has given us.

In the account of Deborah, Barak, Jael and Sisera (Judges 4), I believe the Lord is showing that peaceful negotiations would not have worked in this situation. Could Jael have said to Sisera when he passed by her tent, “My lord, please come in and have a seat. When Barak comes through, you all can sit down and talk this through.” No, it was God’s will that she take action. Angie Thompson has said that Jael used a tool, something that she was used to, something she probably used everyday to bring down the enemy. The Lord used her to stop someone who was coming against His people. God did not use peaceful negotiations, but violent action.

When we come up against the enemy of our souls, we are to take action. We are not to peacefully accept what the enemy is bringing against us. We are to violently fight. Fight with the tools our Lord has given us. Fight with crochet hooks, guitars, fight while we cook and clean. In doing all things as unto the Lord, we are violently advancing the kingdom of Heaven. We are being obedient to the call the Lord has on our lives.