Right at this present time we are like Gideon’s army. We have been saying since we got back from Texas that we are in change. Some tremendous changes have taken place, but greater changes yet are going to happen. We’re not through this period of transition yet.
There are several things on my heart. It is very important to know who we are and what we are. You have heard the expression, “What you are speaks louder than what you say.” What we are is not always what we think we are, because we are so aware of our limitations. We are aware of our unfaithful adamic nature. We are aware of the negative things speaking so loudly to us that we condemn ourselves. We believe the things our flesh nature is saying, but the Lord calls things that are not as though they are. When He says something, it is a fact.
We have seen many times in the Scriptures when God has said something that hasn’t yet happened. For example, Isaiah prophesied the birth of Jesus – Unto us a child is born – hundred of years before it came to pass (Isaiah 9:6). Also, Christ is coming forth in us. Before the birth is complete the Lord is speaking positive things and that is important. Why? It is because the spoken Word is the creative agent. You say, “Well, I’m nothing.” That’s true – none of us are anything, and we won’t ever be anything until the Lord speaks a Word and says, “This is what you are. You’re not that yet, but this is what you are becoming.” Because He said it, it becomes a sealed fact. So the things we speak in the Lord are very important.
It is not a defeat to be where we are right now, for He takes the foolish things to confound the wise. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, has God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence. I Corinthians 1:26-29. It is important to know we are weak and foolish, for the weak and foolish are the chosen. If you think too much of yourself, God can’t use you. He can’t release His power and authority through someone who feels they are super-special. That immediately disqualifies a person. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3. That is what it means to be poor in spirit – not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think (Romans 12:3).
Judges 6:1 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
I think we can relate to that. Our flesh nature is evil in the sight of the Lord, and out of our flesh nature comes the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). The works of the flesh will lead us into the hand of Midian.
Judges 6:2-6 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the
Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains,
and caves, and strong holds.
3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the
Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till
thou come into Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox,
nor ass.
5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as
grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number:
and they entered into the land to destroy it.
6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the
children of Israel cried unto the Lord.
That old Midianite flesh nature of ours will rise up to destroy the produce of the Lord that would come forth in us, the fruitfulness of a new nature. Your flesh nature can cause you to feel as though you are in a den or cave as the Israelites were. You feel like you can’t break out of it. Have you ever had a time when you just felt like nothing and you won’t ever be anything? You were under the hand of the Midianite flesh. That is the way they were in Israel. So what did they do? They cried unto the Lord.
Judges 6:7-9 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the
Lord because of the Midianites,
8 And the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them,
Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you
forth out of the house of bondage;
9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of
all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their
land.
First, the Lord reminds us of what He has done for us. “Here is what I have done for you. You’re feeling low and defeated. Now think a minute – look what I have brought you out of in the past. Look at all the things I have done for you, how I have helped you and been your Savior. I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians.”
Judges 6:10 And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but you have not obeyed My voice.
Fear not the Midianites or your flesh nature, for I the Lord am your God! Do not fear the various gods and lords of your flesh nature. Every time we listen to what our flesh nature is saying we are disobeying the voice of the Lord.
Judges 6:11-14 And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which
was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon
threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is
with thee, thou mighty man of valor.
13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all
this befallen us? And where be all His miracles which our fathers told us of,
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.
14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt
save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
Gideon didn’t feel like a mighty man of valor; he was hiding and was deeply afraid. He was as overcome as anybody could possibly be, but the Lord just speaks a Word to him.
Our responsibility is to believe what the Lord has said. It always comes down to that. Some of the Jews asked Jesus, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent. John 6:28-29. The work is to believe. What has God said about you? What has He said that you are? Who are you in the Lord? These are the things that you are to believe. Regardless of how bad you stumble, regardless of what you think of yourself, it is important for you to believe what the Lord has said. Agree with the Lord and say, “Well, I’m not that now, but I’m going to accept it because that is what I am becoming.” That is what the Lord does. He calls things that are not as though they are. He speaks a Word! Our responsibility is to believe what the Lord has said. Don’t believe the Midianite flesh! Believe the Lord!
Copyright © 2007 by Henry DuBose