Mon.’s Devo - Battles - Physical and Spiritual

Read: Judges 7:1-8:17; Luke 23:13-43; Psalm 97:1-98:9; Proverbs 14:7-8 Gideon took his army and camped south of the Midianites. God told Gideon he had too many in his army because they would boast that they won in their own strength. God wanted them to know that He was the one who was delivering them so they wouldn’t repeat their sinning. God told Gideon to announce that if they were afraid, they were free to go home. Twenty-two thousand went home. *** There were still too many people, so God had Gideon take them down to the stream. The men who brought the water up to their mouth with their hands could remain. The ones who lapped like dogs were to leave. With 300 men, God would save them. *** That night, God sent Gideon down to the camp of the Midianites to listen to what they were saying, to encourage him. He took Purah his servant. The Midianites and the Amalekites were spread out like locusts there were so many of them. They listened while a man told his fellow soldier that he had had a dream the night before where a cake of barley tumbled into the camp of Midian and struck their tent and it fell. The tent tumbled upside down, then lay flat. The other soldier interpreted his dream as meaning Gideon and his army would totally defeat them because God had given this land to them. *** When Gideon heard this, his fears were gone and he worshiped the Lord. He went back to the camp and divided the men into three groups of one hundred each. He gave them trumpets and empty jars with torches inside the jars. He told them that when he blew the trumpet, they were to blow their trumpets and shout, “For the Lord and for Gideon.” *** They surrounded the enemies camp and when Gideon blew his trumpet, he smashed his jar and shoutes. The light appeared. His men did the same, then the next group did the same. Then the last group did the same. The enemy were awakened out of their sleep and totally confused. They ran out of their tents and began fighting each other, probably because they couldn’t see and they were so confused. They fled toward the Jordan River into the land of Ephraim. *** Gideon called out the men from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh to pursue them. He told the men of Ephraim that they were coming their way so they could help capture the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. The men from Ephraim killed Oreb on his own rock and killed Zeeb at his own winepress. Then they brought their heads to Gideon. *** The men of Ephraim were mad a Gideon for not calling them to fight with them. When Gideon explained that they helped bring down the princes of the armies, which was huge, they were satisfied. *** After the battle, Gideon brought his army across the Jordan into Succoth. They were tired and hungry. Gideon asked the men of Succoth to please feed his men as they were on their way to pursue the kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna. The men of Succoth refused to feed them, so Gideon promised to flail them with thorns and briers when he came back through. *** Next, they came to Penuel and asked for food. When they refused to feed his men, Gideon promised to come back through and break down their watch tower. *** They continued to pursue the kings who had fled with their army. Gideon attacked the army and Zebah and Zalmunna fled. Gideon pursued the kings and finally captured them which threw the army into a panic. *** Gideon returned the way he had come. He captured a man from Succoth and found out from him the 77 names of the officials and elders of Succoth. He took them and flailed them with the thorns and briers from the wilderness, then he went to Peniel and knocked down their tower, just as he had promised. *** In Luke, both Herod and Pilate found Jesus innocent. Pilate wanted to punish Jesus and then release him but the crowd yelled for him to release Barabbas to them instead. Barabbas was in prison for actually doing what they had accused Jesus of doing. He was the insurrectionist and the murderer, Jesus was the reformer who gave life. *** Pilate tried to reason with the Jews, but they were adamant. They wanted Jesus crucified. Finally, Pilate washed his hands of the whole matter and gave them Jesus to do with as they pleased. *** They led Jesus to his death and grabbed Simon of Cyrene to carry his cross behind Jesus. Many followed Jesus mourning and crying for him. Jesus turned to them and told them not to weep for him but for themselves and their children. Because the day was coming when it will get so bad, they will want to die. *** Jesus was hung between two criminals where he was mocked and ridiculed. An inscription was placed over him that read, “This is the king of the Jews.” *** One of the criminals joined in the ridicule and told Jesus to save himself and them if he was indeed the Christ. The other criminal rebuked him saying they were receiving death because they deserved it, but Jesus had done nothing to receive his death. He asked Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom. Jesus told him that he would be with him that day in Paradise. *** Lord, thank you that when we are facing powers greater than us, you encourage us to lean on the power that is above all powers. You gave both Gideon and Jesus victory over more than the powers on the earth, but powers in the heavenlies. May we trust in your power to fight all our enemies.