PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN ( Judges 8:1-3 ): I read these verses and I sense a bit of myself in them. The men of Ephraim only saw what Gideon had done without them instead of appreciating what they had done without Gideon. Scripture tells me that Gideon quickly made this point to them and their anger subsided. I wonder how often I have done this in my own life. I know I have embraced at times the whole “grass is greener” type of mentality in my life. Please forgive me for this, Father, as this is not the way You expect me to live this life. I must be better at living in a way that is appreciative of what You do bless me with instead of wishing I had the things others were blessed with. Help me to keep focus on the blessings in my own life, Father. Help me to cling to these so that anything that others get I can praise You for on their behalf but not want for any of it for myself.
PROMISE ( Judges 8:10-12 ): The promise You made to Gideon a few chapters back has been fulfilled! You told him that he would only need the 300 in order to defeat the Midianites and that’s exactly what he did. I didn’t realize how vast the Midianite army was until this, however. It says that Gideon’s army of 300 had already defeated a total of 120,000 Midianites and that they only have another 15,000 left to defeat, which they did! Another promise fulfilled in scripture!
ATTITUDE ( Judges 8:35 ): It’s absolutely amazing how the Israelites completely left their faith in You and their appreciation of what You had Gideon do for them immediately after he died. They had 40 years of peace through him as Your vessel; they defeated a vast army with only 300 men because of You. For some reason, though, they decided to worship other gods and forget about all of those things You did for them through Gideon. I know I’ve done this before with various things in my life such as money, sex, people, “things” and so on, Father. I’m asking You today, to help me keep an attitude of balance and priority. Balance in my life to never feel overwhelmed or abandoned, but also priority in my life with keeping You always as my number 1.
COMMAND ( Judges 8:23 ): Although this particular verse could fall under just about any other section of my journal today, I strongly feel You are speaking a command through Gideon in this verse. After their great victory over the Midianites, the Israelites praised Gideon and asked him and all of his offspring to rule over them. He refused and instead pointed them back to You as their ruler. The reason I see this as a command is because Gideon is essentially saying that You are the ruler of all and that no authority in this world or life will ever have kingdom authority over Your reign. The command is that I should always point to You for all things in my life instead of leaning on the wisdom and direction of the worldly authorities. If something they say or do goes against scripture, then I know it is not from You and I must be cautious in those moments. Please continue to remind me of this, Father, so that I do not give into temptation from the worldly authorities that cross my path in this life.
EXAMPLE ( Judges 8:33-35 ): I find this last few verses in this chapter to be an amazing example that is relevant even to this day. Oftentimes, our faith is strongest when we are going through battles in this life or while a reminder of that great battle is still present in our lives. The Israelites went through great battles with the Midianites and succeeded thanks to You using Gideon as Your vessel. When he passed, however, they lost the in-person reminder of that great battle so they lost their way in their faith. I know I’ve done this many times since coming to faith about 10+ years ago. I lose the reminder of the struggle I went through which brought me closer to You. Instead of redirecting myself back to You, I tend to divert myself off Your path. Help me to be better, Father. If I do begin to stray again, please help nudge me softly and lovingly back to You.
*DAILY NOTE: The promise to Gideon is fulfilled and Your people had many victories, but also enjoyed great peace for many years. Unfortunately, they also ended up straying away from their faith in You once Gideon passed away. How unfortunate this is as they could have had even longer peaceful times had they simply remained faithful, instead they chose to worship other worldly gods which have no power or authority in Your kingdom in heaven nor on earth. Thank You for this great testimony, Father. Gideon’s story is a powerful reminder that no matter what goes on in my life, I must keep You as my focus just as he did. I must keep You as my number 1 priority, just as he did. Help me to be better, Father, but also give me those light nudges and reminders when I am beginning to falter or stray in my faith, consistency, and obedience.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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