Tuesday Transformation

First, Kaden's eye procedure went fine this morning. Thanks for all the prayers!

I've been reading in the book of Judges lately, and while I've skimmed through it in the past, I'll have to admit this is one of the first times I've actually read through it carefully. I'm focused on reading through the Old Testament at a steady pace over the next several months, and God is already showing me so much.

I came across Judges 7:2 the other day, and I just had to share with you the principle God revealed to me. This verse says... The Lord said to Gideon, "The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me.'" Don't miss what God said. He said that Gideon had too many people with him. Gideon is about to go to war, and last time I checked, more is always better in these situations. However, it was right about the time I had that thought that God taught me this lesson...

Making our own provisions may actually prevent God from demonstrating His infinite supply of resources! I believe we can get so focused on lining up every detail and making sure that everything is perfectly in place that we forget to trust God and walk by faith. By the way, walking by faith is required if we want to please God (Hebrews 11:6). In other words, we can easily become more confident in our ability to succeed than in God's ability to provide.

So, let's make some application with this. In your church, are you truly trusting God with anything? If God suddenly ceased to exist, could everything continue going like it is? What about in your family? Are you so dependent upon God to care and provide for your family that you seek Him on a regular basis through prayer? Or do you simply rely on your job and abilities to pay all the bills. I know the Christian answer is to say "Yes, we depend on God for everything." But seriously, do you? Do you start each day with prayer expressing your dependency upon Him? Do you make your walk with God a priority in your life? Look, I know our culture is very self-motivated, and that's not always a bad thing, but it may not be the best thing, especially if you claim to be a follower of Christ.

Just as God reduced Gideon's army from thousands to a mere 300, perhaps there are some things you need to reduce from your life so that you can depend more on God. Am I saying quit your job and sit on your tail? No, because that would be laziness, which is a sin, but I am saying we need to take an honest look at who is really paying the bills and make sure we are giving thanks to the One who provides everything we could every need!