Baptism at Singles Retreat - 147 Baptized!!!

*******************Baptism at Singles Retreat 147 Baptized!!! ***********************

* Sharing times in the Word and looking for growth. Let's Commune Together!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Mirror, mirror on the wall, do I see the Real me at all?



Scripture Read: Judges 6:13-16 Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The Lord looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” 15 He said to Him, “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.” 16 But the Lord said to him, Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.”

Application: It’s all in your point of view! Gideon is living during a terrible time in Israel's history. If he processed his grain in the open, the enemy would wait until he was done and then swoop down on him to take the fruit of his labor and the food from his table. In an effort to feed his family we find him here trying to protect his harvest from the enemy, in a wine press, which made the task difficult, but a wise one; where “the Angel of the Lord” appears to him and addresses him in a way that he considered very strange – a "valiant warrior” not “you who are hiding and sneaking around man of Midian!”  Then He commands Gideon to do something he would think impossible - “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian." 

Every one of us should relate to Gideon here. Why? Our point of view naturally is the same as Gideon's - a fallen human being! Knowing of this, we should draw with more strength to God and seek His view of our circumstances. That is why it is so important for us to remain open to God’s point of view. Like Gideon, we can only see what we believe we “are” and only what we believe is “possible.” As mortal men we only view what is in front of us. God’s point of view is what He knows His power can do and that we can do whatever He calls us to do because He will equip and provide all we need to accomplish it with Him. How many times do we limit what we can become and what the Lord could accomplish in this world through us because we are limiting ourselves to our finite view. By faith, we must stretch ourselves and believe God does have a vision and a plan for us; a plan that far exceeds our finite thoughts. This is not positive thinking; it is a life of Faith. One based on knowing (yada` (Strongs #03045) God and the Truth found in His Word that shares His intimate desire and plan for His creation. There are no mistakes, losers, accidents or illegitimate circumstances in God’s world! Every one …that means you…was created by an all-knowing God and He desires to share Himself with you, as the “Free Choice Being” He intended you to be. He spared no cost to secure that relationship with you.  Are you His child in the circumstances you find yourself in?  Consider the awesome plans He had for Gideon:  “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.” The next time you think it’s “impossible” ask the Holy Spirit to be your eye doctor and adjust your view ~refuse to cling to your point of view, ~ yield yourself to God, asking Him to illuminate your vision so you can see His potential for your life.

Meditation Questions: Whose mirror do you see yourself from, yours or God’s? When God places on your heart something He desires you to do, how do you approach that? What does that show about how you view things? Do you believe in accidents? What does that show about how you view things? When was the last time you took a step and direction and did not know where it was going to end up? How did you feel? What or who were you looking at? What does that show you concerning your faith?

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