Good Lord's Day everyone.
Here is our study guide for today:
Sunday: Judges 6, 7, 8What is the strength of Gideon’s character that made him an effective leader, and what weakness finally caused his downfall?
PRAYER THEME FOR THE WEEK: I will pray daily for these persons who don’t know their potential for leadership.
See you in worship!
Gideon's character strength was that he trusted God, but it was a cautious trust. When called to lead the armies of the Lord, he wanted proof from first, the angel, then later from God himself. "Setting a fleece before the Lord" comes from these readings. In it, Gideon wants the Lord to show him that he's doing what God wanted by asking first that the fleece of a lamb set outside would in the morning be filled with dew and that the ground around it be dry. That was the way he found the fleece, he filled a bowl with the dew on it. Gideon then asked for the reverse to be true: that the fleece be dry and the ground around it be wet. And so it was.
His weakness of character was that he was easily seduced by other gods after his victories for God. He took all the jewelry that his men gave him and made an idol out of it and even he and his family "were seduced by it" meaning they began to worship it instead of God.
Gideon was never fully committed to God; he responded to God when called, and carried out what God asked of him, but when he had finished his duty before God, he forgot all about God.
Our commitment to God should be a lifelong love affair and love relationship. We shouldn't just serve the Lord when we feel that it's the right thing to do and when we reach a certain age or point say, "that's it, I've done my part!" and quit. Serving the Lord involves our loving God enough to follow and serve Him every day.
PRAYER: Loving God, help me to love and serve You each day. Let me seek Your loving face in all that I do. I ask this in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
Here is our study guide for today:
Sunday: Judges 6, 7, 8What is the strength of Gideon’s character that made him an effective leader, and what weakness finally caused his downfall?
PRAYER THEME FOR THE WEEK: I will pray daily for these persons who don’t know their potential for leadership.
See you in worship!
Gideon's character strength was that he trusted God, but it was a cautious trust. When called to lead the armies of the Lord, he wanted proof from first, the angel, then later from God himself. "Setting a fleece before the Lord" comes from these readings. In it, Gideon wants the Lord to show him that he's doing what God wanted by asking first that the fleece of a lamb set outside would in the morning be filled with dew and that the ground around it be dry. That was the way he found the fleece, he filled a bowl with the dew on it. Gideon then asked for the reverse to be true: that the fleece be dry and the ground around it be wet. And so it was.
His weakness of character was that he was easily seduced by other gods after his victories for God. He took all the jewelry that his men gave him and made an idol out of it and even he and his family "were seduced by it" meaning they began to worship it instead of God.
Gideon was never fully committed to God; he responded to God when called, and carried out what God asked of him, but when he had finished his duty before God, he forgot all about God.
Our commitment to God should be a lifelong love affair and love relationship. We shouldn't just serve the Lord when we feel that it's the right thing to do and when we reach a certain age or point say, "that's it, I've done my part!" and quit. Serving the Lord involves our loving God enough to follow and serve Him every day.
PRAYER: Loving God, help me to love and serve You each day. Let me seek Your loving face in all that I do. I ask this in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
