Begin Where You Are... Even though it's messy!

I don’t know if you’re like me but I have struggled with the thoughts that of course God would take care of so and so – I mean look at them – they do everything right. Why wouldn’t He take care of them?! But me… I mean look at the mess of my life. How could the LORD use me?

The call of Gideon is such a rich passage. It brings me encouragement and comfort time and time again. In large part, it has been the catalyst for this blog. The LORD has used it to help give me the courage to do what I believe He is calling me to do. But before we get to that story, I think we need to take a look at the setting in which we find the people of Israel at the time when Gideon lived. The LORD called Gideon just where and how he was – right from the middle of the mess. Come and see…

The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD handed them over to Midian seven years, and they oppressed Israel. Because of Midian, the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and Qedemites came and attacked them. They encamped against them and destroyed the produce of the land, even as far as Gaza. They left nothing for Israel to eat, as well as no sheep, ox or donkey. For the Midianites came with their cattle and their tents like a great swarm of locusts. They and their camels were without number, and they entered the land to waste it. So Israel became poverty-stricken because of Midian, and the Israelites cried out to the LORD. Judges 6:1-6 Holman's Christian Standard Bible

Most of us have never faced bands of raiders but I bet you, like me, have no problem relating to problems and circumstances beyond our control swarming in around us and devouring our peace and joy. I love the way the English Standard Version (ESV) says, “And Israel was brought very low…” Think of it… this wasn’t just one individual down on their luck and falling into despair. This was fathers, brothers, sons, neighbours, their countrymen… as far as their eyes could see – life was not turning out as planned – for anyone. I think it’s safe to say that God’s people felt abandoned. I have too. And, just like them, I have made places for myself to hide… in hobbies, busyness, television, food, performance, formulas, rules… I’m sure I’ve tried more. The problem with these things is that they don’t address the real issue at hand and if we’re not careful – very careful – they quickly become strongholds in our lives.  They don’t leave us satisfied. They don’t improve our circumstances. They leave us desperate! But in the Israelites’ desperation, they finally did something right. They cried out to the LORD.

Victory always begins with a cry to God for help!

When the Israelites cried out to the LORD on account of the Midianites, the LORD sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage. And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. And I said to you, ‘I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed My voice.” Judges 6:7-10 English Standard Version

God will tell you why you’re being oppressed if you ask Him. God had told the Israelites they were not to adopt the gods of those around them but they had not obeyed His voice. Isn’t that where we all get into trouble? The world that we live in has gods of success, fame, materialism, sex, “beauty”… This is by no means an exhaustive list! You want to know what the world idolizes? Just think for a moment. What’s on our televisions? Where do we spend our money?

I’ve come to think of the terms permissiveness and dismissiveness. These things creep in when we forget Who it is that we’re serving and everything that He has done for us. It’s when we give ourselves permission to relax or “bend” on the boundaries that the LORD has put into place for our good, we’re tempting disaster. It’s just one… a little bit won’t hurt you… it’s not really that bad… Then there’s dismissiveness, when we sense the counsel or conviction of the Spirit (trying to spare us hardship and heartache) and we flat out dismiss His words. That’s when we’re in the perfect position for a fall. That’s the perfect invitation for oppression.

We cannot profess to be God’s people and make room in our lives for other gods. God is a jealous God. We are to have no other gods before Him. In His ultimate kindness, He allows the circumstances that call us back to Him.

The LORD hears His people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the broken-hearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:17-18 New Living Translation

LORD, may we come to our senses while we are in the places where You have driven us. May we and our children return to the LORD our God and obey You with all our heart and all our soul by doing everything You are giving us to do today – for You will have compassion on us – and we will truly live. Amen.