DON'T LIMIT GOD (PART 5)
"And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house." - Judges 6:15 (KJV)
Some people's base view of themselves and that of their families from which they descended can lead them to limit God. If no one in your family ever achieved greatness, consider yourself the one to set the pace by being a child of God, believing Him for an abundant life, a life of extraordinary success (Jn 10:10). This brings to mind the matter of Gideon.
Gideon lived at the time when the Midianites plundered Israel and on this particular occasion, the Bible says that
"... Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour." (Judges 6:11-12, KJV).
Threshing wheat by the winepress is an act that speaks volumes. Gideon was in essence hiding his wheat from the Midianites because the Midianites wouldn't go to the winepress to plunder it when it was wheat harvest time. So, Gideon chose the winepress for a hiding place. This was the height of debasement and shame. But God saw it and showed compassion on Israel for what it was going through in the hands of the Midianites.
God saw Gideon's plight and especially his discontentment over the Midianites' saga and decided to zero on him, choosing him to save Israel, saying:
"The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. ... Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?" (Judges 6:12-14, KJV).
But rather than believe God and thereupon proceed to carry out the charge, Gideon chose to ponder on his physical circumstances and especially, his humble background as reasons why he couldn't be Israel's deliverer (Jug 6:13,15). Moses once felt likewise (Exo 4:10-15); and today, so many of God's people do! Had God not persisted in convincing Gideon and Moses, they would have limited Him, and probably truncated His plans for Israel.
In Christ Jesus, God has made us His best; He's bestowed upon us His riches in glory. He made us "partakers of the divine nature," and "of the inheritance of the saints in light" (2 Pet 1:4; Col 1:12), 'et all'. Stop looking at your physical circumstances and especially your lowly family background.
God called Gideon a mighty man of valor, despite his lowly family background. That was his true state, not otherwise on account of the physical circumstances of his life. The essence of Gideon's encounter with God were:
"The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour" (Judges 6:12);
"Go in this thy might, ... have not I sent thee?" (Judges 6:14);
"Surely I will be with thee," (Judges 6:16). These assurances from the Lord were enough to persuade Gideon that the strength of Israel and every child of God is in having the Lord with them.
Having the Lord with you in your life is the game changer for which satan has no answer. Like what prophet Samuel told Saul, when God is with you, you're no longer ordinary; but completely a different man.
"And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, ... and shalt be turned into another man" (1 Samuel 10:6).
For the child of God, especially in the NT dispensation, we are new creatures and God's presence with us is so profusely emphasized and made manifest. This being the case, it's no longer about us or our background, but new creatures that God has made us. It's now about how yielded we're to the Spirit of God that's ever with us. We shouldn't for any reason limit God anymore. Our testimony now is:
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phil 4:13). Hallelujah!
PRAYER:
Dearest Heavenly Father, in Christ Jesus, You have made me a new creation and I'm full of Your power to do all things to Your pleasure. Praise the Lord!