I was just reading the story of Gideon in the book of Judges. It starts out with Isreal under heavy oppression from the Midianites. The Midian's were a tribe of people who were a decendant of Abraham by his second wife that he took after Sarah died. The Isrealites had departed from God to worship bael so God allowed the Midians to plunder their crops. They would sow their seeds, but the Midians would plunder the harvest.
Gideon was busy "thrashing wheat in a wine press" and An Angel of the Lord came to him and said: "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!" What a surpise this was to Gideon, he was no mighty man of valor, but God was about to turn a ordinary man, into a extraordinary man.
So what was Gideons response? If God is with me, where are all the miracles our fathers told us about! Right on Gideon, if God is with us, we can expect to see miracles that is for sure. Then to be sure that Gideon know the Angel was from God, they placed some meat and bread on a rock and fire came up out of the rock and consumed it. Miracle number one, Gideon was on his way. The angel had to assure him that he was not going to die. I think I may have needed the same reassurance at that point.
Then we know the story about the fleece Gideon put out before the Lord. Then we know how 32,000 started out, but that was reduced to 10,000 and finally God decided it would take only 300 to get the job done. They had a torch inside a earth vessel and a trumpet. When the earthen vessels were broken, the light shined bright and they blew the trumpets and the Midianites turned on each other and that was the end of Isreals problem with the Midianites. When our earthen vessel is broken, then the true light of the Gospel can shine though us, and we can blow the turmpet to warn the world of the soon coming of Christ. The door is always open, for whosoever is willing, let them come. Thanks, JohnR7
Gideon was busy "thrashing wheat in a wine press" and An Angel of the Lord came to him and said: "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!" What a surpise this was to Gideon, he was no mighty man of valor, but God was about to turn a ordinary man, into a extraordinary man.
So what was Gideons response? If God is with me, where are all the miracles our fathers told us about! Right on Gideon, if God is with us, we can expect to see miracles that is for sure. Then to be sure that Gideon know the Angel was from God, they placed some meat and bread on a rock and fire came up out of the rock and consumed it. Miracle number one, Gideon was on his way. The angel had to assure him that he was not going to die. I think I may have needed the same reassurance at that point.
Then we know the story about the fleece Gideon put out before the Lord. Then we know how 32,000 started out, but that was reduced to 10,000 and finally God decided it would take only 300 to get the job done. They had a torch inside a earth vessel and a trumpet. When the earthen vessels were broken, the light shined bright and they blew the trumpets and the Midianites turned on each other and that was the end of Isreals problem with the Midianites. When our earthen vessel is broken, then the true light of the Gospel can shine though us, and we can blow the turmpet to warn the world of the soon coming of Christ. The door is always open, for whosoever is willing, let them come. Thanks, JohnR7
