A Lesson from Gideon

   Judges 6 is my current favorite chapter in the Bible. Mainly because God has been giving me revelation about it, which is how He usually talks to me. It's an interesting chapter. It starts out talking about how the Israelites are in bondage to the Midianites because they did evil in the sight of the Lord. Let me just say that James says to humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:10) I don't want to know what happens when you exalt yourself in the sight of the Lord! So they were hiding "in the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains". Now the Midainites would come every year, encamp against them, and destroy their crops. Also the Amalekites and some people, who are not named, from the East. They were very poor at this point.

   But in the middle of all this, a guy named Gideon gathers his wheat together and startes to thresh it in his father's wine press so that he can hide it from the Midianites. All of the sudden the Angel of the Lord appears to him and says, "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor." The irony of calling a guy who's hiding a mighty man of valor must have struck him pretty hard, because basically  what he said was, "Whatever! Don't you see what's going on here? God has forsaken us."

  Now, if I was God I would have gotten mad at him for talking to me like that. That's why He's God, and I'm not. Inspite of what Gideon said, God knew his heart and said, "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?"

  Gideon then wants a sign to make sure this is God speaking to him and not just some mirage brought on by heat stroke, so he asks Him to wait while he prepares a sacrifice. After he prepares it, he sets it on a rock and God makes fire come out of the rock and the fire consumes it. Gideon understands and believes it truly is the Angel of God. The Angel leaves and Gideon builds an altar and calls it "The-Lord-is-Peace".

  Question: Now what was the point of me telling that whole story?
 Answer: I want to share some of what God has put on my heart as of late.

  First of all, God brought Gideon out of a place of hiding and weakness. (Judges 6:11-12)
 Second, God looks beyond our present problems, and into our future potential. (Judges 6:11- 16)
  Third, the only limitation on God is us. But if you give God all that you have, He will make it into something that you could not have even imagined. He only needs your willingness; but if you're not willing, He will find someone who is.
   Fourth, God told Gideon to go in his might and he would save Israel. "Have I not sent you?" God has called us to battle, but we can't go to battle and just hide behind Him like a little kid. We are soldiers and we have to follow our general (God) to the very end. We have to exert just as much willingness to fight for our lives as He does. Because if you think about it, you're in a fight for our lives, and God can only protect us so much. If we lie on the ground and accept defeat, we will be defeated. But if we stand and fight, and follow God's orders, we will win the victory! 
   Which brings me to the fact that GOD IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL! He loves you exponentially. He is fighting for your life. So the question becomes:
 
   Are you?

A Cozy Day's Thoughts

  I just got done with school. It took a while today, and I'm glad to be done! I made a good grade for my science quiz and was exempt from the chapter test. I'm happy (and a little proud of myself)! I thought I was going to do terribly; but I prayed through it, and the Holy Spirit helped me remember. I still can't quite believe that I got some of those questions correct. Thank you, Jesus!

  It's been a rainy day today. Perfect fall weather! Of course I don't want just rainy days this fall, but I usually enjoy them when they come around. Nothing like snuggling up in front of the fire with a warm blanket, a cup of tea, and a good book. The epitome of cozy! We don't have a fire place but the wood stove in our dining room won't be idle much longer. Soon the air will be filled with the smell of burning oak and the sounds of the crackling fire. It makes me giddy to think about it!

  Here's a couple installments of Pretty Thrifty for you (sorry about the typos in previous posts!). It's obviously been a while since I got around to posting. Sorry!

Earrings (giveaway)
Scarf (given to me) 

T-shirt: $0.25

Bracelet: $1.00

Skirt (made by me)

Flip-Flops (clearance): $1.00

Total:

$2.25

These were a garage sale treasure. I found them at a garage sale priced at $3.00. I haggled it down to a dollar. I got to the car and decided that when I got home, I would look up how much they were new. 

So when I got home I typed in "Kenneth Cole Reaction". 

I found a pair that looked similar to mine and they were $60 new. 

But I just looked them up again to make sure the price. I found the exact kind on e-bay for $40. I couldn't find the exact kind on the Kenneth Cole website. 

Still, it was a good deal!

   My baby, Tiger!

(He's pawing, not trying to claw me! He doesn't claw!)

Earrings (giveaway)

Scarf : $3.00

Blouse: $0.25

Jeans: $1.00

Shoes (given to me)

Total:

$4.25

 God Bless!

Emily