Learn From Gideon, 24

~ God Values Quality Over Quantity ~

The Biblical account of the life of Gideon provides for one of the most interesting character studies in all of Scripture.  In this series we will discover practical lessons for living the Christian life today.  

Scripture  ~  “Then Jerubbaal [Gideon] and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the well of Harod, so that the camp of the Midianites was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.  And the Lord said to Gideon, ‘The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, “My own hand has saved me.”  Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, “Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.”’  And 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained’” (Judges 7:1-3).

Learn From Gideon  ~  22,000 of the 32,000 were “fearful and afraid.”

1. God wants us to overcome our fears because fear is a thief.  It starts small but grows rapidly like a fast-growing cancer.  “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10).
2. God always does things purposely.  In this instance He downsized Gideon’s army removing 22,000, or nearly 70 percent, from advancing to the front lines because they did not trust Him.  As the hymn states, “Trust and Obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to Trust and Obey!”
3. God wants you to trust Him in response to His love for you.  “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:18-19).
4. We serve a God who is more interested in quality than quantity. 

concluding comment  ~  We learn about Gideon primarily from Judges 6-8, but also Isaiah 9:1-7, and Hebrews 11:1-3, 32-34.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

10 Commandments Today, 12of14

~ Jesus Christ Summarized the Ten Commandments ~

The Scripture  ~  “Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that Jesus had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’  Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”  This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  There is no other commandment greater than these’” (Mark 12:28-31, parallel passages Matthew 22:34-40 and Luke 10:25-28). 

First  ~  “You shall love the Lord your God with [1] all your heart, with [2] all your soul, with [3] all your mind, and [4] with all your strength.”  This sums up the first four of the Ten Commandments!  

[1] I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  You shall have no other gods before Me.  [2] You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.  For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.  [3] You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.  [4] Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.  In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day.  Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. 

Second  ~  “You shall love your neighbor [your fellow humans] as yourself.”  This sums up the last six of the Ten Commandments!

[5] Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.  [6] You shall not murder.  [7] You shall not commit adultery.  [8] You shall not steal.  [9] You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.  [10] You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.  

Additional Comment  ~  Shortly before returning to heaven to sit on the right hand of the Father, Jesus gave His followers—those who already loved God—a new commandment, reinforcing what we have seen above:  “Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer.  You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, “Where I am going, you cannot come,” so now I say to you.  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another’” ( John 13:33-35). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Life, 2of5

~ Life and Jesus Christ ~ 

The Life Manifested  ~  “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes [Jesus Christ], which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us” (1 John 1:1-2).

“In Him [Jesus Christ] was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:4-5). 

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6).

The Life Laid Down  ~  ‘I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.  As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15).

“But Jesus answered them, saying, ‘The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain” (John 12:23-24). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .