Judges

     I am reading through Judges right now and it amazes me how the men during this time in history were very misguided. It is almost like they didn't want to step up and confidently follow God. Barak was told by God to go and defeat the Canaanites (Judges 4), but he would not leave unless the prophetess Deborah would go with him. He wanted security in something he could see. He wouldn't trust God's Words unless she went with him into battle.

Jdg 4:8 Barak said to her, "If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go."
Jdg 4:9 And she said, "I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh.

     Ultimately, the victory was given to someone else. Someone that didn't have anything to do with their campaign.

     Then there is Gideon (Judges 6 -7). The Lord tells him to take victory over the Midianites, but he stalls several times before taking action on what God told him to do. After a test where the Lord burns up an offering Gideon makes he says this:

Jdg 6:22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD. And Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face."

But that still wasn't enough. He goes out and asks God again for re-assurance in Judges 6:36. This is where he lays out the fleece before God and asks for several more signs. 

Jdg 6:36

Then Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said,

Jdg 6:37

behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.

     He was not acting in faith on what God wanted him to accomplish. Even after God humors him and does what he asks over the next few days of tests Gideon is still unsure! God had given him specific instructions about how to defeat the Midianites and even told him he would not be harmed. All of those tests were done and God proved Himself every time. But still he was afraid to do the will of God.

Jdg 7:9 That same night the LORD said to him, "Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand.
Jdg 7:10 But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant."

Judges 7:11 (In the second half of the verse) "Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp."

     Gideon does eventually step up, but it took a long time to get him there! When he trusts in what God said, victory is given over to him and the Israelites.

     How much more could God have used these men if they just had faith that He would do what He says? How much more could God use you if you stepped up to what He is telling you to do? Don't make God drag you through following Him. His will is always accomplished. Are you going to be an effective tool in His hand, or one that constantly falls apart under the pressure of the Lord's work?

     Why is it that so many Christians fall into this same exact situation? I will follow you Lord! All the way to the ends of the earth! Then God says, ok, here is where I want you to go, or this is what I want you to do. Then we back up and say, "Ummm, are you sure about that? Can we talk about this for a few months? Show me a sign that you want me to witness to that person. Give me some specific evidence to back up what you are saying..." How long do you think God puts up with that? We need to rise up and start believing what God says as Truth and start following Him with an attitude of complete obedience. I don't want to miss out on being used by God, how about you?