Gideon

“The people again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord…and the people cried out for help to the Lord.”
The people of Israel fell into a constant pattern of sin. Over and over again, they broke the covenant that God had made with them; over and over again, they fell to the same sins, the FORGOT the God who delivered them out of Egypt and led them into the Promised Land. They would break the covenant, and then cry out to God when the world around them came crashing down. Then, God being the loving and great God He is would rise up a deliverer for them and save them.
Israel in their [pattern] of sin broke the Father’s heart, but when they would cry out to Him, He would render the heavens for them. The Lord is slow to anger and [SO] abounding in love. I read this and my immediate thought was what is wrong with these people? But let’s get real now. I am Israel. I fall into the same exact patterns of sin over and over again. How sad.
“The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
Out of fear, Gideon was threshing wheat in the wine press, and God calls him a MIGHTY man of VALOR. Looking at Gideon, anyone and everyone would probably say that he is the furthest things from being a “mighty man of valor”. BUT, that’s what God saw Him as. Gideon was of the weakest tribe in Israel and his clan the least in that tribe. He’s the last person to be called a “mighty man of valor.” You see, it wasn’t about Gideon, it was all about God.
“Pull down the altar of Baal… build an altar to the Lord YOUR God.”
The altars of Baal and the Asherah poles that were erect all across Israel were representative of everything that was wrong with Israel. They represented a broken covenant. They represented Israel’s disobedience, misplaces priorities and adaptability (to sin). Before God could use Gideon, God needed him to get rid of that sin that was in the courts of his own father’s house, and REBUILD the altar of the Lord. With that, Gideon reestablished the convention there. He set God as number one.
Aren’t there idol altars that reign in my own heart? Altars that serve as proof of my disobedience and my misplaced priorities? Be it pride or people, it’s there, there is no denying it. The courts need to be swept clean before I can be used most effectively to advance His Kingdom here on earth.

“In the paths of your judgements, O Lord, we wait for You. Your name and renown are the desire of our soul.” Isaiah 26:8

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