I’ve been waiting for a spiritual turn to take place. Today, August 1, the turn has begun focusing the attention and prayers of the Lord’s discerning ones on the coming fall season. While it is still summer and the joy of vacation, barbeques, and gatherings with friends and family are still happening, the Lord has selected a small group He will use to contend with the increasing darkness seen on display in our land. To understand how the Lord will do this we need to look at how He instructed Gideon to select warriors for a battle similar to the one we are facing at this time in our history.
Before a battle with the Midianites, Gideon had a large army at his disposal. The Lord said there were too many. He instructed Gideon to tell all who were afraid to fight to go home. 22,000 went home leaving only 10,000. The Lord said that was still too many.
Gideon was told to watch how the remaining soldiers drank water from a stream. Those who put their face in the water and lapped like a dog were told to go home. Only 300 who kneeled beside the stream and lapped water from their cupped hands while not taking their eyes off what was taking place around them were selected for battle.
“Then the Lord told Gideon, “I’m going to deliver you with the 300 soldiers who lapped by giving the Midianites into your control. Send everyone else back to their own homes.”(Judges 7:7).
With the 300, the Lord brought a great victory. In a surprise attack, the Midianites turned their swords on each other. The confused Midianites destroyed their own army.
Not all who follow Jesus see the coming challenges we will face because they have buried their faces in the streams of everyday life. Others sense what is coming and are too afraid to engage in the conflict. In His great mercy, the Lord will allow those who are afraid or unaware to go home. Do not be angry or disgusted with fellow believers who were not selected for battle. This is not a time to give pride a place in our hearts. God will select who He calls to battle, not us.
As we make the turn toward the fall, keep your eyes on the distant horizon as you refresh your life with the last remnants of summer. If you are someone who can do this you will be used by God to engage in a surprise attack against those things that stand in the way of freedom and peace. This is freedom and peace that will come from victories in our personal lives and within the nations where we live.
What will take place in the coming battle will be like it was in the time of Gideon. What seemed like an overwhelming force of opposition against the will of God will become a u-turn of events where the swords of deception will turn upon themselves. This will be a victory where only the Lord will receive the glory because it could not have been accomplished had not a supernatural turn of events occurred.
This is excellent! It puts things in the right perspective. It helps me think about other parts of the Body or individuals who have different callings. There are those (relatively few) who are called to the frontline while others stay in the rear, each one fulfilling their calling.