#061

LORD, RAISE US UP

A

DELIVERER

(Judges 3:15)

          My heart was burdened for Israel and the world situation.  The most I could do was pray in the Spirit because I didn’t know how to pray.  I asked our Lord how I should pray.

          I knew I must pray in faith.  But, how could I pray when I wasn’t sure of HOW God wanted me to pray?  Because I lacked knowledge of the Old Testament…I missed the strong pattern of Israel’s existence.  Not just the small country but as they (we) are scattered throughout the world.

          In this small devotional book of scriptures given to me by my earthly xaver (friend), these words of Gideon in Judges 6:15, jumped out at me.

“O, my Lord, how can I save Israel?”

          I knew this was what my heart was crying.  I also felt like Gideon when he said, “I am the least in my father’s house.”  What can I possibly do?

THE  ANSWER  FOR  US

(At least it is for me.)

          The answer for me became simple, brief, and clear…when I read Judges 3:15.

          “But, when the Children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer.”

          This same prayer went up many times in the book of Judges.  Judges 3:10 says:  And the Spirit of the Lord was upon this leader…he went out to war…and the Lord delivered the enemy into his hand.

          In Exodus 34:11 Moses had warned the nation of the danger of an incomplete conquest.

A MAN OR WOMAN?

          Many of us have lost faith in mankind.  We have become skeptical of even people (men or women) who say they qualify to be our leaders, judges, deliverers.  We do not see the anointing of God on their lives.  We don’t sense the POWER of TRUTH…boldness and clear direction that can only come from following the leading of our Lord. 

          We need God to choose a “deliverer” for us and Israel.  He has done this many times in the past and I believe He can and will do it again.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

(Hebrews 13:8)

Yesterday – (etmol) -   אתמול

Today – (ha-yom) -היום

Forever – (le-ad) - לעד

SOME  MAY  THINK

          “Oh yes, Gwen.  But what if we pray this prayer and the anti-christ comes and deceives us?  If you are thinking this way, please do a “walk-about” on the word “deceive”. 

          I love the verse in Luke 11:10-13 where it says if an earthly father would not give his son a serpent when he asks for a fish…how much more would our Heavenly Father give us what we ask for?

MINISTRY OF THE JUDGES

(Judges 2:16)

          The judges were God’s men who served as leaders of the people, not only militarily, but in matters of civil administration and legal matters. 

          As you read the book of Judges you will hear of leaders God chose to deliver Israel.  Some of these we are not familiar with.  God chose such leaders as:

          Othneil…………………………(3:9-10)

          Gideon………………………….(6:34, 11-16)

          Ehud…a left handed Benjamite...(3:15)

          Jephthah…………………………(11:29, 11:1-11)

          Samson…………………………..(13:2-5, 24, 25)

          Shamgar…………………………(3:31)

          Tola and Jair……………………..(10:1-3)

          Ibzan, Elon, Abdon………………(12:8-15)

          Deborah and Barak………………(4:1- 5:31)

          Eli and Samuel who were also judges in I Samuel.

BUSH – McCAIN – OBAMA?

          Doubtless, all of the judges were men and women upon whom the Spirit of the Lord came.  Do any of these three seem to have the Spirit of our Lord resting on them?  Could one be a Gideon who was afraid to fight until he had an encounter with our Lord?  Until then, he acted the part of a coward instead of a leader.  Yet, God called him…a Mighty Man of Valor. 

          Having read God’s Word, we know what the end will be, but we desire to know how to pray and do our part in this present battle. Since God answers the prayers of Israel time after time, I believe He will answer ours.

And for many of us, is the desire for a leader we can trust.

          So, if Gideon is in hiding, we pray that he have an encounter with God, recognize evil for what it is, call it what it is, and become the Mighty Man of God we can trust, follow and look up to.

TIME  AFTER  TIME

          If you read Judges, you will see the stories of time after time when the Children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer.  I love Judges 2:18 that says:  “And when the Lord raised them up judges, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge:  for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.”

NO ONE KNOWS

          No one knows when our Lord shall return.  No one knows how many more battles there will be and opportunities for good to overcome evil.  Reading Judges gave me the FAITH to pray for God to send us a Leader to overcome our enemies.  Many dedicated children of God are taking His message to the world and willing to die for it.  Some have been called to Watch and Pray.  And if you are one of these…perhaps you see the value of the answer to my request from our Lord…as to how I should pray.

          Nothing is impossible for our Lord.  So, I pray in Faith that God will send us a Believing Leader to deliver us out of this tangle of misconducts.  Of course, if that Leader turns out to be our Lord Jesus Christ, I couldn’t be happier.  But, should He choose a man to stand for Him…then I know I will recognize the man or woman when I see them.  So will you.

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