Pastor Stephen Dedman

Tag: hell

The Lord Is With You

Encouragement

The Lord Is With You

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him (Gideon) and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.
‭‭Judges‬ ‭6:12‬

Mighty Man of What?

At first Gideon was not a man of valor (courage), he was weak and cowardly.  In fact, he was the smallest and youngest of his family and would be the least of many to be called a warrior.  What’s ironic about this passage of Scripture is the angel spoke these words to Gideon while he was underground hiding in fear of the Midianites robbing and killing him. But God had something special in store for Gideon.

God called upon Gideon to rise up when the Israelites finally cried out to the Lord for help after suffering seven years of punishment for worshipping Baal.  It wasn’t long after the Israelites were living comfortably in the Promise Land that they turned their back on God and broke the First Commandment.  Now it was time for Gideon to be the man God was going to use to save the Israelites from the Midianites.

Gideon led an army of 300 Israelites into victory by blowing trumpets, smashing clay pots, holding up torches and raising their voices (Judges 7:20).  The Midianites were defeated and Gideon never had to raise the first sword.

Gideon is a great example of God using the least of many to do great and wonderful things.  No matter your position or calling you are someone God wants to use.  He wants to use the ordinary to do extraordinary things to show His mightiness.  Never underestimate your usefulness because God wants to do amazing things through you.

Prayer

Pray for God to use your life to show others what a mighty God you serve.

Pray like Jabez

Encouragement, Faith, Trust

“Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.”
‭‭1 Chronicles 4:10

This is an exciting verse that we have in front of us today. This verse is a prayer that was desperately prayed and God answered it. Do you realize that as a child of God your prayers are heard and answered?  God does not hear the prayers of those who do not belong to Him.

Jabez is only mentioned in verses 9 and 10 and this is all that we know about him. So let’s learn a few things from him.

First, we learn that no matter what is bothering us we can go to God for help. His name indicates that he either suffered pain or caused pain. Regardless, he needed help and turned to God. His prayer changed everything as God granted his request.

Second, we learn that our negative circumstances should never define our life.  Our hardships and trials shape us for what we can become.  We become better people when we overcome trials.  It increases our faith.

Third, we learn that we all are unique and have a special purpose in this life. We were created in the image of Almighty God and we should give Him glory for our unique attributes. God gives each of us special gifts and talents to honor Him with and to bless others.

Pray the “prayer of Jabez” and see how it changes your mindset and your outlook.