Judges 7:2
There were about 32,000 men who came to fight with Gideon against the Midianites. On the other side of the battlefield, the Midianites numbered about 135,000 men not to mention all of their camels, which we are told, were so many that they couldn’t be counted. The odds were about 4 to 1 against Gideon and his army. Yet with the odds already against them God says, “You have too many men, I can’t give you the victory with this many men.” After a number of tests, the Lord shaved Gideon’s army down to 300 men, to fight against 135,000, and the odds plummeted to 450 to 1.
Over and over again in the Scriptures, we see God’s people outnumbered and put in situations where their abilities fall far short of what is needed to achieve victory. As Christians today, we find the same is true, but all we have to do is hold that challenge up to the Lord and His abilities and in faith trust in His power to give us victory. Then He gets the glory and we receive great confidence knowing that as God’s children we are over-comers “because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Pastor Doug Hardin
2 Kings 19:14
The Assyrians were one of the most powerful nations during Hezekiah’s reign and they were threatening war. The Assyrians taunted Hezekiah and the children of Israel and even wrote Hezekiah a letter saying there was no one who could save them, not even God. Hezekiah was facing a situation that seemed impossible to overcome; however, note his response. Rather than surrender out of fear, Hezekiah takes the source of his worry and fear (the threatening letter) and lays it before the Lord. God responded and gave Hezekiah victory over the Assyrians.
Whatever you are going through, you can lay it before the Lord and know that He will give you the wisdom and strength to overcome. There is nothing too big or too small for the Lord. Learn from Hezekiah and cast all your cares before a loving King who longs to deliver you!
For the King,
Pastor Daniel Batistelli
Philippians 4:4
When I think of rejoicing, I think of sports. People rejoice when their team wins and you can see people post about it on social media. Paul’s reminder to the church in Philippi is our rejoicing should be in the Lord. While sports isn’t the only thing for us to rejoice in, anything but Christ will be an eventual letdown. To continually have a mind that is set to the Lord, how can we do anything but rejoice!
Spend some time reflecting on reasons to rejoice in the Lord. There is so much He has blessed us with, but often our minds drift. Realign your mind and rejoice in the goodness, graciousness, mercy, and grace of our Lord.
In Christ,
Pastor Sean Boehm
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
I’m sure we all have friends that are either takers or givers. When the taker asks us to do something for them, there’s that tendency to be reluctant because we feel motivated out of obligation. But when the giver asks, we jump at the opportunity because they have already done so much for us and we are motivated out of a genuine love. Would you say that Jesus has been a giver or a taker in your life? The verse above reminds us of what Jesus has done for us to ensure our salvation, sanctification, and eternal destiny.
So take some time today and examine what it is that drives you in your walk with the Lord. When we realize the “giver” that He has been, it should be our love for Him that motivates our every action.
Being compelled,
Pastor Gerard Deleeuw
Psalm 108:12-13
Trouble is a natural consequence of living in this sinful world. During the pandemic, we’ve certainly had our shares of problems and we didn’t know what to do. One thing that didn’t work was relying on the knowledge and help of men. Every person involved had a different opinion and, at times, it seemed the cure was worse than the virus. David plainly said the help of man is useless.
To make it through troubles, we need the Lord. With the Lord, we will do valiantly. It’s from the Lord we get our strength. Philippians 4:13 says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Psalm 118:8 reads, It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
As we go forward, may we learn the lesson of this verse and let God have the reins in our lives.
Relying on God for my strength,
Pastor Ron Kitchell
2 Timothy 2:6
From the above verse, we learn the farmer must labor at his task but then he is also to receive priority of its reward.
For the farmer, there is no such thing as quick fruit. He is in it for the long haul and it requires lots of labor: early morning to late evening. He must constantly toil in the soil: plow, sow, tend, weed, reap, store, and start over. He must have patience and fight the elements, pests, and diseases. It’s hard work with an eye on the reward, the prize, the fruit of his labor.
He does so because he has tasted of the reward, knows it is worth the wait, and it will all pay off in the end! (1Corinthians 15:58). Though the glamour may wear off, the diligence of the task will be fully compensated in the long run (James 5:7).
Remember this illustrative example as you set off to serve the Lord. It will be hard work. There will be days when it looks like you are losing ground, and face setbacks and disappointments. But press on, the fruit awaits and it is glorious!
Learning from the farmer,
Pastor Jack Abeelen
Psalm 97:1
Many years ago, I heard a man make the statement that Christianity would be almost nonexistent by the year 2000. And while it’s true that there has been a decline of people who call themselves believers in many areas of the world, the church is also growing rapidly in other parts.
In China, for example, it’s estimated that 20,000 people every day are trusting Jesus as Savior. In Africa, the church is growing dramatically, as it is in South America and across parts of Asia. These areas, commonly called the “Global South,” are seeing an intense and passionate response to the Gospel.
So what does that tell us? I think those of us in the Western world have a duty to support and encourage the spreading of the Christian message in these parts of the world. Also, we need to open our hearts to learning from our faithful brothers and sisters around the globe and not think that we hold all the answers here.
It’s good to thank God for your country this season. But let’s never forget that our God is a global God. So get involved in what He’s doing around the world by praying, giving, and going to make His name known among all nations!
Pastor William Del Casale
Romans 4:19-20a
Chapter 4 of Romans describes how Abraham was accounted righteous solely because of faith — by believing that God would provide him and Sarah with a child even though they were very advanced in age. These verses paint a picture of a godly man firmly rooted in a strong faith who did not waver with unbelief. He was not a perfect person, but he strove to have a walk of faith and to maintain hope in the promise that God made to him.
We may not all measure up to the strength of Abraham’s faith, but thankfully it is not the strength of our faith that saves us; we are saved by the object of our faith: God who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead (Romans 4:24). The work is all God’s, through Christ Jesus, so that we have nothing of which to boast (Romans 4:2). Praise God that He loved us even while we were sinners, and sent Jesus to die for us (Romans 5:8). He promises to us eternal life if we simply place our faith in Christ Jesus. Then, like Abraham, we will be accounted righteous, simply by believing God’s promise.
Jeff Mericle
Ephesians 2:10
After writing we are saved by God’s grace and not by works, Paul now says that there should definitely be good works. Here we are told to work, but that it is God who is at work. This truth is the mystery of the Christian life in a sentence.
Our verse today sheds even more light on Paul’s statement in Philippians. We are God’s workmanship—His masterpiece or work of art. We have been saved by grace and given the gift of salvation for a reason, that good works be done to the glory of God. We are His work, created by Him to bless others in good works. Furthermore, God has ordained the good works for us.
Life is most satisfying when we discover and do those good deeds for which we were created. Joy is the byproduct of fulfilling our mission. It is the path to greatest happiness in life to complete our purpose by doing the deeds God prepared for us. God gave us our personality, our gifts, and our talents to equip us for the works He planned for us.
So, today, let us all be on the alert to do these deeds ordained for us in a way that does not bring glory to ourselves, but brings glory to the One who created us.
Tom Day
Exodus 20:15
Why should we not take what isn’t ours if we need it? Why should it be okay to own something that someone else is excluded from? Why is there such a system in place that doesn’t free us to have whatever we need? Why do some people get to have more than others; how is that fair? Those are good questions, questions that have been raised for a long time that philosophers and governments have pondered.
For God to command all men not to steal is to insinuate the right to personal property — the right to own or possess something that is solely yours to own and use where no one else has access to it unless you, the owner, permits. God saw it fit to order a world where hard work is rewarded.
This system is designed to free a man or woman to enjoy the fruits of their labors and it is built into man to delight in their work. My wife loves making desserts and she works hard to make some more complicated stuff. The harder the dessert to make, the greater the reward when it is completed. There is then an even greater blessing or reward when she voluntarily chooses to share that dessert with others, so they can delight in it.
Without the ability to possess or be rewarded, there would be little desire to achieve. With no desire to achieve, there would be little to possess. With nothing to possess, we then lose the ability to bless by giving. Stealing robs us from the freedom to achieve, possess, and give in a way that satisfies the soul. Therefore, work hard, enjoy the fruit of your labor, and bless others as you have the opportunity.
Pastor Jason Witt
