A Different Way of Thinking

November 4, 2016

The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.” Then Gideon said to him, “O my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” Judges: 12-13a

1. GOD USES RELUCTANT WARRIORS. When God called Gideon to step up and rescue the people of Israel, Gideon responded with excuses: God’s abandoned us; I’m the least important and the youngest; if this is You, God, prove it. He was expressing attitudes that had been formed by years of oppression and disappointment. But God was introducing Gideon to a new way of thinking.

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?” Judges 6:14

2. GO IN THIS YOUR STRENGTH. God is your strength. Gideon and the people of Israel were afraid of their oppressors, but then they were reminded of how big God is. Even if you feel like you’ve been operating in a difficult environment for years, God is calling you out and up.

So the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet. Judges 6:34

3. SOUND THE TRUMPET. If you don’t feel qualified to impact the world, join the club. Gideon considered himself the least important, but God encouraged him, equipped him, and eased him into his calling. Believe what God says about you in His Word and let Him replace insecurity with courage, disappointment with faith. God is not finished with you!

Press on!
Pastor Jeff

PRAY THIS PRAYER
God, I thank You for Your strategy for my life. I place my trust in the Word of God and not my past circumstances. I say yes to Your plans and purposes! In Jesus’ name, amen.

think·ing, noun
An opinion, or a set of ideas. The way that you consider things or react to them.

Copyright © 2016 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. “Thinking.” macmillandictionary.com. © Macmillan Publishers Limited 2009–2016, n.d. 02 November 2016.