I Need Help

There are times I need another set of hands. There are times that I simply can’t get all the stuff on my daily to-do-list completed and I need help. I’m thankful for friends, staff and colleagues who are always willing to pitch in and help.  I think God wired us for relationship. I think we are at our best when we are working together and helping one another. We are stronger together, but when you add the Lord into the equation, it goes to a whole new level. In fact, I’m not sure how to describe how the Presence and the Power of God changes things.

Gideon was a young man from the tribe Manasseh. He probably didn’t appear to be a warrior, and he was a bit timid. He was careful to test the Lord to make sure the Lord had the right guy. I loved his conversation with The Angel of The Lord. The Lord used young Gideon to assemble a group of men to fight the Midianite occupation of their land.  He started out with 32,000 men and the Lord whittled it down to 300 so that the Lord would actually get the credit for the victory. Check this out….

⁷ The Lord told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.” ⁸ So Gideon collected the provisions and rams’ horns of the other warriors and sent them home. But he kept the 300 men with him.

¹⁶ He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it.

¹⁷ Then he said to them, “Keep your eyes on me. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do. ¹⁸ As soon as I and those with me blow the rams’ horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”

¹⁹ It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars. ²⁰ Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

²¹ Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. ²² When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. (Judges 7:7-8, 16-22a NLT)

This story reminded me that the Lord goes before and stands beside me.

God’s Love and His Presence are the most Powerful Force. Gideon was a follower of God and the Lord made him into a warrior because of Gideon’s obedience. I want to be a warrior like Gideon. I want to totally trust the Lord to give me direction

Your Love Flows Through by Kristen Hicks

(1)  “How can I ever understand this?

How can I make it on my own?

You say You love me,

O God please don’t leave me alone.

Your peace surpasses understanding,

and joy runs deep into my soul.

So even though I can’t see the road,

I still believe in what I was told. 

(C) You go before me, You stand behind me

Every step I take You placed in front of me

And through my weakness, You shine Your faithfulness

So in all I do I just let You be You

And Your Love flows through

(2) I hope I never shake this feeling.

How can I keep it to myself?

Cause, Your love is overflowing,

my heart is beating out my chest

(B) Every breath that I breathe,

every word that I speak,

every song that I sing

Through Your strength,

I will stand, and I will lift up my hands,

giving all that I am, as Your love flows through.”

___________

Pressing On!

Dwayne