May 17, 2016
Judges 6: 11-24
11The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that
belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a
winepress to keep it from the Midianites.
12When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD
is with you, mighty warrior." 13"But sir," Gideon replied,
"if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all
his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD
bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into
the hand of Midian." 14The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the
strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending
you?" 15"But Lord , "
Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh,
and I am the least in my family."
16The LORD answered, "I will be with you, and you will strike down
all the Midianites together." 17Gideon replied, "If now I have found
favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18Please do not go away until I come back and
bring my offering and set it before you." And the LORD said, "I will
wait until you return." 19Gideon went
in, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread without
yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out
and offered them to him under the oak.
20The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened
bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And Gideon did
so. 21With the tip of the staff that was
in his hand, the angel of the LORD touched the meat and the unleavened bread.
Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of
the LORD disappeared. 22When Gideon
realized that it was the angel of the LORD , he exclaimed, "Ah, Sovereign
LORD ! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!" 23But the LORD said to him, "Peace! Do
not be afraid. You are not going to die."
24So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is
Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Title: God’s choice
Message: When God chooses a servant,
He does not choose one because of his qualifications but because of His
preferment. Then, as that preferred one serves Him, he becomes qualified
because of God’s blessings and provisions. This is what happened to Gideon.
Considering himself the weakest among the men in his race, he refused when he
was told by the angel about God’s appointment. Nevertheless, the angel proved
the authenticity of God’s message through the man’s offering and Gideon
eventually believed.
Promise to Claim: God Himself is humble and
so must we. God prefers servants who are humble, who are not the best among the
rest but who are willing to obey His commandments. Every one of us may serve
the Lord as it is His will that would qualify us and not our aptitudes or
skills.
Command to Obey: Do what pleases God. Accept
His appointment and you will be blessed.
Warning to Heed: Failure comes to those who
unfollow God.
Application: I will regularly
communicate with God through my prayer. I will ask for His guidance as I serve
Him in whatever way I or any of my family members can so that every thing is
done in accord to His will.
