RDrew

Joash must have been a persuasive leader as he seemed to be able to get the people to take a particular direction, although the wrong one. He appears to not be strong in his convictions as the people are allowed to worship idols. Wishy washy as we are today, praying and believing but not practicing fully the worship of the true God. We allow things in our lives, homes and families that are worldly and we put our God along side these rather than over them. Gideon was used by God to point the way back to Him. He was able to tear down the altar and the pole and not be harmed because of it. When Joash chose to allow God to demonstrate His power he was ackowldeging that he really knew who would win. It saved his face before the people, saved his son from retribution and gave him an out toward getting back to the right worship. God knew the outcome, we need to remember that He uses the circumstances for His own good and to demonstrate His power. Thank You God!

I try,Lord knows I try, but I am so disobedient to the will of God that I constantly need His pardon. I thank Him daily for that grace He has given, the pardon that comes without asking. I am a disciple, a true believer and have been for nearly 50 years but in those years have often been disobedient, but that does not mean I am not longer one of His. Indeed I have choicesbut because I am human and not God my choices are often the wrong ones. Hopefully I learn from the outcome and am guided back to the path I should have been on.

"Children ,Obey your parents in the Lord" is the commandment of Christ. Joash was not 'in the Lord' at this time, so Gideon's obedience to God's command was right. His honor belonged to his heavenly father and not his earthly one. His justification was that his orders came from a higher command than that of his father. If we truly believe that we are called of God to do something, no matter what that may be and how it may seem to the world, we must do it, knowing and believing that God will make the sense of it and that the outcome will indeed give 'honor' where honor is due.

When God is using us for His good, He often gives us tasks to do that are simply acts of obedience. We think we should be doing really big things and rebel when asked to do something simple. God could have instructed Gideon to build the altar and do the sacrifice without tearing down the Baal and the Asherah pole. To risk something (time and energy ) in obedience before doing anything else is one of God's lessons to us. God also gives us leeway in the way we obey, thus allowing Gideon to do his task at night, with the least risk to his physical self. Gideon knew the situation and probably hoped to salvage some relationship with his father. He needed time to get the altar built and knew that there would be opposition if it was done in the daylight. Obedience is a sign of faith, Gideon, even though he doubted his own abilities, had faith that with God he could accomplish his task, even though the outcome was unknown.

When Gideon says how can I.....he is once again forgetting that God is with him. We forget more often than we remember. I have seen this week how the Lord is indeed with us, a family tragedy has indeed opened my eyes and shown me that MY God is very near. His strength is the only strength to rely on and my prayer is to 'draw me closer Lord' Teach me to look to you before I look elsewhere even into myself.' God made us and HE know our strengths and weaknesses and will not ask what we cannot do. Amen

I would not say anthing different than Diane (jan 25th post) As long as we see ourselves through human eyes we will not see the potential that God sees. We need to look to Him, and then back again at ourselves through Him to be able to see what could be.

I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME! and the 2nd commandoment to not worship false idols were the commandments broken. Isreal once again was not listening to the leading of the Lord God. They turned away and were following their own rules. WE too do not listen to God's words for us either in the short or long term. and it affects all our lives, the spiritual, physical and all other aspects.

'Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the earth....a new testament quote but one that comes directly from God. Gideon forgot all that had come before except what he wanted to remember. He forgot that when escaping Egypt the Israelites were assailed each time they drew apart from God and that each time God was there when they cried out. God goes nowhere, He is where we are; we in our humanity and willfulness go from His presence and then blame Him when we encounter adversity and pain. We blame God for the consequences of our own freewill. The danger in this is that in constantly placing the blame apart from ourselves we do not take ownership of our failings and change as we need to. We need to look to God but not in blame, but seeking His guidance as to where we are failing.