Stop the Striving & Let God Shine!

Today I was working through Priscilla Shirer's Jonah devotional and I was reading again on the story of Gideon. Man, do I love that story! Gideon hears from God and does what He tells him to do. The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver

Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me." from Judges 7 Not only did Gideon have to believe that God would deliver them as He slowly eliminated most of his fighters, He had to trust the process! But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”

5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” 6 Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

7 The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” 8 So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. From Judges 7

The thinning out process is odd! He didn't ask him to get rid of the weak ones or something that logically would eliminate the weak ones! But Gideon trusted the process. The Lord was able to show His power through that act of obedience.

How many times do we run the other way from God in our attitude? How many times do we decide the process doesn't make sense or it's too hard?

"Salvation means continued deliverance and sure victory" and can only "come to those who are yielded to God. Those yielded to Him even when the directives don't make sense and even when difficulty is encountered, rest in the knowledge that they are safeguarded by Him" (from Jonah, by Priscilla Shirer)

It is so exciting to let God shine out while I lay down my striving, day by day by day. I want the glory to go to Him so I just need to get the heck out of the way and let Him do His work! That is why to me, it is so important to get to know Him, His voice, be still and learn how to follow the Bible more closely so I can know God better and therefore, rest more in Him and His ways!

I pray you have a victorious week, allowing God to shine in all you do!

jennie