Unconditional Surrender SCRIPTURE READING: Judges 6 KEY VERSE: Judges 6:14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” What would you say if you were going about your daily business and a stranger walked up and said to you, “The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior” (Judg. 6:12 NASB)? Chances are, you would be surprised, confused, and maybe a little mistrustful of the stranger. Gideon certainly did not feel that he was a valiant warrior. Like the rest of the Israelites, he was in hiding, desperately trying to conceal his meager portion of grain from the oppressive Midianites. But Gideon knew it was an angel of the Lord speaking to him, and his stumbling block to obedience was focusing on his personal inadequacy. He could think of many reasons why God should choose someone else: “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house” (Judg. 6:15 NASB). In other words, his family was virtually unknown, and he was the least important member of a group of nobodies. Gideon soon learned that God did not want excuses; He wanted submission, obedience, and a yielded and trusting heart. God promised to be his sufficiency: “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man” (Judg. 6:16 NASB). The Lord wanted Gideon to say yes without reservations, having faith that God would do the job. Only when he surrendered fully did God begin to use him in His plan to save Israel. Almighty God, You don’t want excuses; rather, You desire obedience. I submit my heart and life to You. You are my sufficiency. I say yes—without reservation. Stanley, C. F. (1999). On holy ground (p. 233). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 10:01:48 +0000
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