February 26 – Judges 8:10-17

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 city, and he took thorns of the wilderness and briers and with them taught the men of Succoth a lesson. ¹⁷ And he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

Once Gideon and the army captured the two enemy kings, he went back and followed through with his threats to those who refused to help and feed his exhausted troops.  They were allies and should have assisted, but refused out of fear.  God was on their side still and those 300 men were able to overcome the 15,000 that remained of the 120,000 in the original army.  Capturing the kings was no small feat, unless God was helping.  Even when God is on our side, He expects us to do our part. 

Have you ever been frustrated that following God isn’t easier?

Have you ever felt God should make life easier because we follow Him?

Read John 16:33.  The last part og that verse tells us we will have problems, but in the same breath tells us that we shouldn’t be discouraged by that because Jesus has overcome the world.  Jesus has overcome the enemy.  Satan will not get the last word.  Jesus will.  Jesus wins, which means we win because we are hildren of God and receive His inheritance. 

Oh Heavenly Father, when I read those words in John 16 I can’t help but feel the love You have for us and the joy that You feel as You tell us You will win.  The enemy might appear to be ahead, but he will NOT win.  How often I get discouraged because it seems those of the world, those that follow the enemy, are getting ahead and not dealing with the same issues we do as Your followers.  I know that isn’t true, but sometimes it seems that way.  I also know that eternity is where my focus needs to be.  How easy it is to focus on today rather than eternity, but today is gone forever and eternity is where my hope is.  Jesus died so I could spend eternity with You.  That is my focus.  That is my truth.  That is what I need to share with the world.  Help me Father, help me keep my focus on those things that truly matter.  Today doesn’t matter except how I use it to praise You and share You with others.  Help me do that.  Help me take the opportunities before me to praise You and tell this lost world that there is hope.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen!