Power To Provide
Proclaim the power of the Almighty which has no limits and prove your faith is genuine by providing for the needs of others.
“The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me...announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave...twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained...the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men... the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you. During that night the Lord said to Gideon...If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp...Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon...When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah"
Judges 7:2-12, 16-18, 20, 22
God promised Gideon victory, but with a caveat. He must get the glory. Most of us would rather do battle with more troops. It stands to reason that fighting a battle against the opposing troops would be better with thirty thousand soldiers than three hundred. What seems reasonable to us, is not righteous to God. God isn't interested in wasting opportunities to grow our faith or give His Name glory. So what did He do? He told the soldiers to leave until there only remained enough people that no one could take the credit other than the Creator.
Do you ever wonder why God does not just make our paths easy and the road straight? Life is full of twists and turns. It is full of trials and tests. We constantly face pressure and persecution. Do you ever wonder why God allows events to unfold the way they do? How would it change our perspective on life if we evaluated everything through the lenses of how God is growing us and what gives Him the most glory? Paul said God's power is made perfect in our weakness. Nothing will make you feel weaker than going up against an army of thousands with a few hundred.
Pastor Mark Batterson says God plus one is a majority and that truth emerges in this story. Don't skip over how personal and present God is throughout the process. God knows Gideon is a guy who likes reassurance and to see a sign that he is doing what is right. In the middle of the story, before Gideon even asks for a sign, God tells him that if he needs a sign to go down and listen to what the opposing army is saying. Gideon goes and hears that they are terrified. God gives him a sign because God meets us where we are. He gives us what we need to take the next step. Where are you facing long odds or an overwhelmingly unlikely outcome? Have you proclaimed the power of God and is He the one that will get the glory if the prayer is answered?
“May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him...may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. When you, God, went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain...You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor. Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Summon your power, God; show us your strength, our God, as you have done before. Proclaim the power of God"
Psalms 68:1-3, 5-10, 19-20, 28, 34
David says God will take any situation where things seem the worst and find a way to redeem it. Are you fatherless? He is your Heavenly Father who will never leave you nor forsake you. Are you a widow and without hope? God is your refuge and has a place at the banquet for you. Are you lonely? God will give you a family. Are you feeling like a prisoner? God will set you free. Mark Batterson says don't put a period, where God puts a comma. The truth is there is more to our story and God works in ways that will give Him glory while growing our faith.
David says proclaim the power of God. Think of all the words you speak in a day. How many of those words speak about problems or pressures and how many proclaim the power of God. David says it is better to speak about God's power than to cry out poor me because your story is not done being written. David recounts the ways that God has already moved to give himself confidence that God will move again. There is something powerful about remembering the ways God has been faithful in our lives. Think of what God has done for you and consider how you can share your story to glorify God.
Jesus came and completely changed all of history by flipping the power structure on its head. In ancient times, and perhaps at times in ours, the people who were celebrated as having the greatest blessings were the ones with the most stuff. It is easy to look at someone who has great compensation, a lot of possessions, and is in a power position and think how lucky they are. Jesus said blessed are the poor in spirit and the meek. He dined with sinners and welcomed outcasts. He was less concerned with claiming an earthly crown and more focused on claiming our hearts. We live in an upside-down kingdom where God's economy works with different currency.
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good rewarded for theirs. Do not those who plot evil go astray? But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness. Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death. Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly. Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”
Proverbs 14:8, 12, 14, 22, 26-27, 29, 31
Solomon says there is a road you can travel that will lead to death. This seems like an obvious statement as all of us will physically die one die. Solomon is speaking to a deeper issue when he talks about death. Consider swapping the word death out for separation, isolation, or dead-end living. Can you think of any roads you have traveled that led away from the Prince of Peace? What happened and where did you take the wrong turn? Was it because you were seeking your own glory or God's? Were you trying to move in your own strength or proclaiming God's power? How can remembering a road that didn't lead us where we wanted to go help inform the way we can live today?
Wisdom says the fear of the Lord is the fountain of life and a secure fortress. Think of those two words. Fountain and fortress. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit that we would have the strength to deal with whatever we face, but He doesn't stop there. He wants you to feel safe. He wants to meet you where you are and like Gideon He will give you whatever signs you need to stand firm in your faith. Do you need a sign today?
Solomon keeps going. The opposite of the road to death is the road to life. He says God calls us out of our places of comfort towards our kingdom calling. Solomon says those who oppress the poor show contempt for God, but the ones who are kind to the needy honor God. Is this not the same message that Jesus proclaims in Matthew 25 when He said that whenever you help the least of the world you are serving Me? Solomon says we are meant to be a fountain where blessing flows in and through us. Who could you bless right now?
“Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of Israel. Should you not embrace justice, But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin. Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they look for the Lord’s support"
Micah 3:1, 8, 11-12
God gave Micah power and He wants you to walk with the same authority. The Spirit of the Lord that dwells in us is calling us to bring justice to the world. This is a very different mindset than most of us waking up with each morning. Our natural tendency is to think about how things are going for us. Justice says think about how things are going for others and invites us to see how we could impact someone else's experience.
Jesus says change the way you think and Micah says the same thing. Justice can't be bought for a price, bribed, or decided by a big check. Justice says do what is right in the eyes of the Lord. Jesus was remarkable at administering justice. He helped the helpless, healed the sick, brought hope to the marginalized and lived an other-centric life. The bible says the same Spirit that guided Him lives in us. How could we quiet the voices in our heads to hear the Spirit speak to us more clearly?
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.”
James 2:12-18, 22, 24
There is an expression that talk is cheap. Anyone can say anything, but that does not make it true. Jesus came to set things right and show what it is to live by faith. He was the perfect balance of grace and truth. He showed mercy and judgment. He modeled faith and deeds. How would you describe the balance of faith and deeds in your life? Who is Jesus to you and how is the Spirit of God empowering you to respond to the love you have received in how you love others?
Imagine how different His ministry would have been if it only contained His teachings like the Sermon on the Mount but did not display any signs and wonders. Jesus did both and we are called to do the same. The same is true for each of our ministries. Regardless of where we get a paycheck, we are all ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus told His followers to go and make disciples of all nations.
We have to be careful of how we live this out. The enemy loves to get us out of balance. He wants you to get you into the mindset of having to earn your salvation, but we are saved by faith alone. Then Satan will take the other tack and say you don't need to do anything because your faith has saved you, but James says faith without deeds is dead. Paul describes how true faith expresses itself in love. Can you see how easy it is to get out of balance one direction or the other? One of the best markers of balance is peace in your heart. Jesus wants you to operate out of a sense of fullness and with sandals of peace.
Just like Gideon, God wants to give us a kingdom identity, grow us in how we live out our calling, and guide us into a life that gives God all the glory. As long as you have breath in your lungs, there is still work that God has for you to do. James says do the good you know to do. See the people in your every day life who have a need that you can meet and meet it. There is a simplicity to living out the life of faith and sharing the good news. Jesus said it best in Matthew 5 when He said "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven."