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Misquoting the Bible
“I know God won’t give me more than I can handle.”
God will give you more than you can handle.
Intro to Judges
Falls after Joshua has brought the people of God into the Promised land
Falls before Saul is called to be the first King of Israel.
The Sinful Cycle in the Book of Judges:
INSERT SLIDE
By Chapter 6 the Israelites are under the oppression of the Midianites
The people cry out to God and He acts through the man Gideon.
Gideon’s Call
Refer to
Funny story of Gideon beating out wheat in a winepress
Hiding from the Midianites who would have stolen the grain
“Mighty man of valor” as his head pops up out of the hole in the ground.
Gideon was not looking for this call
He wasn’t training for battle, sharpening his weapons, or instigating anything with the Midianites.
He was cowering and hoping that God would call someone.
Obvious lesson we learn about God is that He uses weak and unimpressive people to do extraordinary things
But we also learn that God often intervenes into our comfort and security to call us to something beyond ourselves.
Gideon Destroys the Alter at night
God calls Gideon to destroy his dad’s alter to Baal.
Gideon does as he is told, but we are told in vs.27 that “he was afraid…so he went at night”
Gideon was not interested in causing too much conflict or getting himself too much attention.
Gideon asks for a couple of signs
With God’s call to save His people from the Midianites, Gideon asks God for a couple of signs.
In other places God scolds people for testing Him or requesting signs, but here He is patient and understanding of Gideon.
Gideon seems like the kid who doesn’t want to go to bed so they find 10 things they need to push the inevitable sleep time back as far as possible.
Fleece is wet and ground is dry, then ground is wet and fleece is dry.
Gideon’s Army and Victory
The signs were enough to convince Gideon God is powerful and faithful to His word.
Not to mention the 32,000 man army he had as well
But God says the army is too large.
Gideon asks if anyone is scared and 22,000 men walk away.
God says there is still too many so He has Gideon test them by having them drink from a body of water.
The ones who keep their eyes up are to stay and the ones who lap at the water are to leave.
The troop is down to 300.
We read at the end of Chapter 7 that Gideon fulfilled God’s call to become a mighty man of valor.
Observations
Gideon’s life, though not ideal, was much less complicated before God intervened
God called Gideon to some things that stretched his faith and risked his life.
God was patient to work with Gideon and understand his hesitancies.
God called Gideon not because he was a mighty man of valor, but because God was going to make him into it.
As we look at this story we can see how God intends to use our life circumstances in the same way He used Gideon’s so long ago.
4 Reasons for Life Struggles
1) Our faith in God is too small
Gideon’s weak faith when God calls him.
Many of us struggle with anxiety over the circumstances of our lives.
Our jobs, our kids, our finances…they cause our blood pressures to rise, our hearts to race, and our nerves to rattle.
It is not as easy as saying “Don’t worry, just give it to God.”
It is the practice of continually reminding ourselves and each other of how big, powerful, loving, and gracious God is.
Matt 6:30-
God will give you more than you can handle, so your faith in Him will continue to grow.
2) Our sin is destructive
Gideon’s sin in (makes golden Ephod, taking credit for God’s work)
It is possible and probable that aspects of our life struggles are a consequence of our own sin.
If you have been driven by greed and the want for stuff, and are now in over your head, you suffering is a result of your sin.
God will give you more than you can handle when your sin has consequences you must deal with.
3) Our growth is incomplete
God continues to work with Gideon in his weak faith and help Gideon grow into a mighty man of valor.
Our struggles are a sign of God’s work of discipleship in our life.
He uses everything in our lives to grow us into maturity.
God will give you more than you can handle in order to grow you up in Him.
4) Our perspective is out of focus
God’s agenda is never our comfort or security, it is always His glory and His plan.
Our perspective is often what is going to make us happier, more secure, or more comfortable.
We often struggle because that perspective never lines up with God’s perspective.
2 cor 4 8-
When we understand the true purpose of our lives to be bringing God Glory and making much of His name then the struggles we face have purpose and significance.
God will give you more than you can handle so His name and fame can spread.
Response
Every time we are confronted with God’s word there should be some kind of response we are to take.
Some time that response is simple to reflect, pray, and process.
Other times I believe God wants us to be vulnerable before Him.
As we sing consider what God is lead you to do.
For some today you are struck with the reality that God has given you more than you can handle and He intends to teach you or lead you in some way.
For someone else maybe the realization you have had today is the reality that your sin is more than you can handle and your response is to trust Christ.
One of the most profound and powerful lessons we learn from the book of Judges is how utterly dependent we are on Jesus as our savior.
We otherwise stuck in the cycle of sin that will lead to destruction.
Let’s respond as the Spirit leads, with a willingness to be vulnerable before the Lord.
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