A QUESTION FOR GOD

• DAY 42
• Fear File: Gideon 
• Scripture: Judges 6:11-13

Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

JUDGES 6:13

I read this and I can’t help but think back to when I lost my sister. After she slept I was very angry at God for taking her without giving me a heads up, amongst other reasons. In my grief, I probably sounded like the amplified version of Gideon. If you love me then why? Where is what you promised me? What you said to me is not aligning with what I’m seeing. What I heard about you is different from what I am experiencing. I needed answers.

Looking back, I realize now that those questions came from a fearful heart. The grief was targetting my faith and when I let it, anger came, and then doubt, unbelief, and rebellion. As we have seen in our study so far, these are all manifestations of fear. Gideon was doubting the promises of God concerning Israel. God said He will be there but circumstances are proving that he isn’t. Because if he was, then why were they suffering?

HE Is Present

Some of us conclude that the presence of problems means the absence of God but that is very far from the truth. Because I know Him to be the fourth man in the fire, the shepherd in the valley of the shadow of death, and the ever-present help in times of need. One time I heard someone say that God is more present when we are going through challenges because a parent pays more attention to a hurting child than a healthy one, but I beg to differ, God is not man. I believe that God is present on your worst days as He is on your great days; you only experience him differently. Primarily because you become more attentive to him, when you are going through a tough time, so it seems that he’s more present, but He was there all along.

Gideon was looking at proof of God’s presence but still doubting because all He could see was suffering.
The truth is as long as we are in this world it’s not always going to be sunshine and rainbows. They’re going to be tough days because we are living in an imperfect world. And until Jesus returns, we are going to have tribulation in this world. However, we are supposed to be of good cheer, no matter how dark the days get because He has overcome the world. All the peace and confidence and courage we need to survive the next challenge is already pre-provided in Christ. So if you are asking this question and wondering where your God is and if He has abandoned you, let me answer you straight up, He has not abandoned you! He’s right there with you and you will overcome this. 

But not, every tribulation is caused by the state of the earth. Some of them are caused by the rebellion of God’s people.

It’s Not You, Lord, It’s Us

The Israelites got themselves into the mess they were in because they went against God. Their enemies were oppressing them again because they had failed in upholding the standards HE set for them. They were living in disobedience yet they expected to still have the benefits of obedience. Isn’t that what we see today? We want to live our lives as our own gods, making idols of our selfish desires, and we expect that God should respond every time we snap our fingers. It’s the audacity for me. We walk away from God and then complain that He is not with us. He never left His position, we are the ones that walked away. Yet in his mercy, He still comes chasing after us. 

Israel, when will you return to your God? When will you remember your deliverer? When will you lift your eyes from self and put it on God? Dear Israel, when will you return prayer to the temple? When will you choose love and kindness and patience and devotion? will you not turn again to the Lord your God?

Throughout the book of Judges Isreal kept forsaking their Lord and getting in trouble, then they cried out for mercy and God will raise a deliverer to rescue them from the mess they put themselves in. Even today, God is raising up deliverers, people who are speaking the truth of the word of God to awaken the church from slumber but are we listening to them?

Where there is no sent deliverer speaking, we have the greatest deliverer that already spoke when he laid himself on the cross. He speaks within us through His precious Holy Spirit would we listen? Is the world not in shambles because we are not listening? Awake Church and listen! Rise up Israel and pay attention. Your people are hiding in winepresses because you have forsaken the Lord your God and pursuing selfish gain. 

Yet, God always leaves himself a remnant. There are people who have not yet compromised, people who are still upholding His word. Because you are here reading this, I will go ahead and conclude that you are part of that remnant. You are part of the generation that wants to see a change. And yes, you are part of the generation that wants to see a revival break forth in the church. So this is your season to awaken and cry out to the Lord so that, in His mercy, He can send deliverance for His people and for His church. 

Pray With Me

Father God, we pray that your spirit is being stirred up in the hearts of your people that there is a burning desire to see a change, to see your light shine through us in this dark times. We pray that your people everywhere are rising up as lights, shining and pushing back every darkness that has overcome our world. We are coming out of our wine presses and we are stepping into the threshing floor and we are raising a sound that will bring the Kingdom on earth in this time and in this season. Hear us oh God and respond with a sound that will quake the foundations of the earth and removes everything that is not founded in You; in the lives of your people, in our nation and in your church. We pray, in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

Shalom

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