April 24, 2000

Lesson for May 7

God works through those who depend on him
___ Judges 6:12-16; 7:2-3,7,20-22
___By Ellis Orozco
___Calvary Baptist Church, McAllen
___The children of Israel were back in a familiar place. After 40 years of peace (Judges 5:31), the people of Israel again turned away from God (Judges 6:1). This time God delivered them into the hands of the Midianites.
___When the people of the Israel cried to the Lord, God called on Gideon to deliver them. Gideon, from start to finish, was an example of what can be accomplished through someone who depends totally on God.
___ Gideon's Honesty (Judges 6:12-13)
___Gideon's honesty with the Lord is refreshing. As Gideon speaks to the Lord, he tells him exactly what is on his mind. In essence, he asks the Lord: "Where have you been? Our enemies are overpowering us! Where is this powerful God that our fathers told us about?" Gideon's complaint comes from his heart. He is completely honest with God about his feelings.
___If we are going to depend on God for everything, we must be completely honest with him. There is something about verbalizing our feelings to God that blesses him and us. It strengthens our relationship with him.
___ Gideon's Humility (Judges 6:14-16)
___God responds to Gideon's complaint by informing him that he is, indeed, going to save Israel, and that he's going to do it through Gideon.
___Gideon, in a Moses-like moment, says: "You couldn't possibly mean me. I could never accomplish this great task." That's the whole point, isn't it? Gideon could not, in his own strength, accomplish the mission, and he knew it.
___That's why God selected him. His humility was the very strength that empowered him to depend on God.
___ The Lord's Command (Judges 7:2-3,7)
___Gideon recruited as many men as he could find to fight the Midianites.
___The Lord then commanded Gideon to downsize his army. In one afternoon, Gideon's army went from 30,000 to 300 men.
___First, Gideon dismissed all those who admitted that they were not ready to fight.
___Then Gideon gave the 10,000 that remained a test to see which ones were really ready. God downsized Gideon's army so it would be a victory that was unmistakably won by the Lord.
___Gideon was depending far too much on his great army to win the battle. God will slowly strip away all the things in your life that take his place. He will do this to make you depend on him and to lead you to follow his commands.
___ The Lord's Care (Judges 7:20-22)
___When Gideon followed the Lord's instructions in battle, the enemy was defeated. The Lord caused the Midianite army to become confused at the sound of the trumpets and the surprise attack.
___ The Midianites, thinking they were fighting a charging enemy, started to kill each other. By the time they realized what was happening, they were being surrounded and had to flee for their lives.
___God takes care of those who obey him and are willing to risk complete dependence on him.
___Gideon's victories are a witness to the power of God working through the life of a person who is totally dependent on God.

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