Courage Giver

I'm so glad you are here! I hope during your visit you get a glimpse of God's heart for we become what we are gazing at. I pray that God refreshes you and gives you readiness to persevere in what He has for you today.  My desire is to be a blessing to you in helping you know God more and make Him known so I've made these Resources available to you and have the Missional Living blog tab for practical ideas of how to live on mission right where you are. If you are blogger come link up on Friday's for Brag on God Friday.   

And swing by my soapbox to read about stewarding Tim Tebow and the opportunity to capitalize on his platform to further God's kingdom. 

"Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them. 36 Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised-- 37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." 38 And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew--a bowlful of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." 40 That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew." Judges 6:33-40

So the Midianites and Amalekites joined forces. How much our already fearful Gideon must have been freaking out! Until the Holy Spirit filled him. How incredible is that! The very spirit of God, who comes into us when we surrender our life to Jesus and let Him forgive us replaces fear with courage. 

I totally understand this to the core of who I am. Growing up I was incredibly fearful. I was terrified to talk to anyone. Seriously beyond shy. I had this fear inside me that at points I actually thought I might die from the feeling of fear itself. I know fear. In 7th grade I was at a BBQ of a organization I was involved with. My parents made me go talk to another girl my age. I begged them with terror in my eyes and voice to please not make me. They did. I went up to this girl, Tami Leadabrand, and this is who God used to bring me to church where the pastor sought me out and shared the gospel with me. The moment I submit myself to Jesus the fear was immediately gone. Not even joking. I went from the never talking to a soul at school girl to little miss popular who wanted to befriend the new girls to tell them about Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives a courage beyond we can ask or imagine. Thank You Lord for changing my life that day and breaking the bonds of fear that had me bound so tightly! You are worthy of my all.

Then we come to verse 36 and something strange happens. It's like Gideon got side-tracked. He blew a trumpet and summoned all the people, even the very people that just wanted to kill him for tearing down their altar to Baal and even the tribes who weren't faithful to go with Deborah (Asher, Zubulun and Naphtali) . So there they are, all the people, 32,000 of them. It the face of these 32,000, Gideon saw what Pricilla Sheier calls God margin. The point where our abilities stop and God has to step in and come through. Fearful and faithless, it seems like Gideon saw that God margin and  couldn't take God at His word but needed some reassurance. 'Are You really going to do as You say? Are You really going to come through?' God gave Gideon the reassurance he was looking for through a wet and dry fleece. God also gives us a fleece ours just looks a bit different. Instead of soft and wooly it's black and white with red all over  :)  His Word. And rather than reassurance in just one area of God doing as He says He will do, our fleece is filled with hundreds of promises, stories and encouragements telling us from God's very mouth of what He will do and what He is like. God's Word is all the reassurance we need. All generations before us yearned to have such a gift, to have God's voice actually written down. And not only written, but in our own language! Oh Lord, thank you!! 

When we trust in signs and experiences, it will never be enough, just like Gideon asking again, "allow me one more test..." But God's Word is enough.

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The Entire Series.
What Have You Missed?

Chapter One
{Verses 1-3} Know-er 
{Verses 4-7} Reliance 
{Verses 9-11}  Bigger Picture 
{Verses 17-19} Prepare for Battle
{Verses 21-2:6}  No More 

Chapter 2
{Verses 7-11} Revealer 
{Verses 11-12} The Lord's Anger
{Verses 14-15} Love Conquers
{Verses 16-19} The Great Rescue
{Verses 22-3:4} The Big Test      

Chapter 3
{Verses 7-11} Willing & Available 
{Verses 12-14} Facing the Enemy
{Verses 15-30} Freedom 
{Verse 31} Comparison

Chapter 4
{Verses 2-3} Beauty of Bridled Strength  
{Verses 8-13} Tons of Nuggets 
{Verses 17-5:31} Where's the Trust      

Chapter 5
{Verses 2-31} Offering   

Chapter 6
{Verse 2} Running out of Darkness 
{Verses 7-8} God Responds 
{Verses 11-12}Redemptive Eyes  
{Verse 13} Questioning Goodness 
{Verse 14} What Strength?   
{Verses 15-16} Just not enough
{Verse 17} Is it really you? 

{Verse 18-22} Grace Upon Grace
{Verse 25-31 } Courageous Defender

I'm linking up with:
A Holy Experience, Good Morning Girls, Women Living Well, My Daily Walk in His Grace,Internet Cafe Devotions, Reflections of His Grace, We Are That Family