February 29 – Judges 8:29-35 29  Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house.  30  Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives.  31  And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech.  32  And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 33  As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god.  34  And the people of Israel did not remember the  Lord  their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side,  35  and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel. It’s a routine with people that they forget those who had done so much to protect them.   The chosen people of God again put themselves before their God.   How often do we do that? What pr

February 28 – Judges 8:22-28 22  Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”  23  Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the  Lord  will rule over you.”  24  And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)  25  And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil.  26  And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels.  27  And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to

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February 27 – Judges 8:18-21 18  Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “Where are the men whom you killed at Tabor?” They answered, “As you are, so were they. Every one of them resembled the son of a king.”  19  And he said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the  Lord  lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you.”  20  So he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise and kill them!” But the young man did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a young man.  21  Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise yourself and fall upon us, for as the man is, so is his strength.” And Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments that were on the necks of their camels. Gideon finds out that these kings killed his brothers so he had no choice but to execute them.   He gave a young man the order but he hesitated.   He was probably no more than a teen.   Certainly young as a soldier. Have you ever struggled to act as you know God

February 26 – Judges 8:10-17 10  Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword.  11  And Gideon went up by the way of the tent dwellers east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army, for the army felt secure.  12  And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw all the army into a panic. 13  Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres.  14  And he captured a young man of Succoth and questioned him. And he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men.  15  And he came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me, saying, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted?’”  16  And he took the elders of the

February 25 – Judges 8:4-9 4  And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the 300 men who were with him, exhausted yet pursuing.  5  So he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”  6  And the officials of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?”  7  So Gideon said, “Well then, when the  Lord  has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.”  8  And from there he went up to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.  9  And he said to the men of Penuel, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.” Fear makes us act in a way that doesn’t show our best side on a good day, but these two groups just saw 15,000 of the e

February 24 – Judges 8:1-3 8  Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they accused him fiercely.  2  And he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer?  3  God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger against him subsided when he said this. These men from Ephraim wait until the work is done and then gripe that they weren’t given a chance to be part of the victory.   Have you ever had someone that wants to take credit for something someone else has done?   What is reality is that these 300 men weren’t the reason for the victory beyond being obedient.   God was the victor.   It isn’t logical that 300 men could overcome 120,000 in a war unless God was at the helm.   God defies reason and practicali

February 23– Judges 7:19-25 19  So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands.  20  Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the  Lord  and for Gideon!”  21  Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled.  22  When they blew the 300 trumpets, the  Lord  set every man's sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.  23  And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian. 24  Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephra

February 22 – Judges 7:9-18 9  That same night the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand.  10  But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant.  11  And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp.  12  And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance.  13  When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.”  14  And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword

February 21 – Judges 7:1-8 7 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2  The LORD said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’  3 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained. 4  And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go.”  5  So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “Every one who la

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February 20 – Judges 6:36-40 36  Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said,  37  behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.”  38  And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water.  39  Then Gideon said to God, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.”  40  And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.   Oh ye of little faith.   It’s easy to judge Gideon and wonder how he could doubt God.   Yet, we experience God’s mercy and grace every day and sometimes remain fearful.   Is there something

February 19 – Judges 6:33-35 33  Now all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East came together, and they crossed the Jordan and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel.  34  But the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him.  35  And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they too were called out to follow him. And he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet them.   Gideon begins to make his stand and enter the battle.   He knew God was on his side, but just like us, the unknown is scary even when we know God is with us. Are you currently in a battle where you need to take a stand that may or may not be popular or favorable with others?   Pray for guidance from God and trust Him to show you His will and provide strength for you today and in the days ahead.   Ask a Godly friend to pray with and for you regarding your situation.     Heavenly Fat

February 18 – Judges 6:25-32 28  When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built.  29  And they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And after they had searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.”  30  Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it.”  31  But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.”  32  Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he broke down his altar.   No one likes it when his or her idols are taken awa

February 17 – Judges 6:25-27 25  That night the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it  26  and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.”  27  So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.   Gideon is still frightened to do as God ask.   He does obey but fulfills God instructions during the night in darkness.     Do you find yourself in darkness or frozen with fear?   Step into the Light with Jesus Christ.   Become One with Him and let Him shine through you.   Trust Him to bring you out of the darkness into the Light.     What does i

February 16 – Judges 6:19-24 19  So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them.  20  And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so.  21  Then the angel of the LORD reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight.  22  Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.”  23  But the LORD said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.”  24  Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it, The LORD Is Peace.

February 15 – Judges 6:11-18 11  Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites.  12  And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.”  13  And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.”  14  And the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”  15  And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”  16  And the LORD said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall

February 14 – Judges 6:7-10   7  When the people of Israel cried out to the LORD on account of the Midianites,  8  the LORD sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery.  9  And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land.  10  And I said to you, ‘I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.”   The rebellious Israelites once again find themselves in need of urgent help and call out to God.   God is no stranger to their cries and sent a prophet to teach them.   Again we see God supplying His land with faithful ministers and showing mercy on the Israelites.   Still, He is not happy with their rebellion and will bring them to repentance.     It’s easy to point our finger