The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior . . . Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you? Judges 6:12, 14
God’s perspective is different from our perspective. When God sent an angel to call Gideon to save Israel from oppression, Gideon saw only his own weakness. Like Gideon, we often see ourselves through our limited viewpoint. Instead, we should look into the mirror of the Word to see ourselves as God sees us.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
The Genesis revelation—that the creation of this world was not a random accident but was initiated by the eternal God—reveals an origin of value, purpose, hope, and endless possibilities. God made us in His image and He has designed Kingdom purposes for each one of us.
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6
Let that verse steep in your spirit. What God begins, He brings to completion. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Whether your life is humming or you feel fatigued, God is faithful yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8; 1 Corinthians 1:9a; Psalm 33:4).
Key Bible verses: Psalm 3; Psalm 64:1 When life gets tough, it’s not time to despair; it’s time to get desperate . . . for God. Follow in the footsteps of King David as he declares his trust in God and his conviction that God is faithful and He will see you through.
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Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8
You may have been meditating on some pretty weird stuff, but God wants us to focus on things that are excellent and worthy of praise. If we are really going to revolutionize the world, we’ve got to be different in our thinking.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! Psalm 8:3-5
On the next clear night, bundle up and go look at the stars. Consider the One who made them and how much He cares about you personally. The quiet moments are more important than you may realize.
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love. Ephesians 4:1-2
We are called to a walk. I remember when the Good News reached and pulled me out of the pit and made my footsteps firm (Psalm 40:2). When God pulled us out of darkness, He called us to a life of faith that impacts the nations. We now have the ability to pray huge prayers and see culture shaped right from St. Louis.
