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Today is Wednesday March 25, 2009 and we are continuing our studies on the book of Judges. Please read Chapters 8 & 9 in your Bible or you can Click Here to read them online. If the link does not work you can copy and paste this one into your browser: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges%208-9&version=9

Today's Message: Forces of Greed
We all want the best things in life, but when those things become more important that God that is when we lose them.

As we learned from yesterday's reading that Gideon was called of God to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites. Thirty-two thousand men responded to Gideon's call to war, but God chose to use just 300 men to defeat them. With only 300 men, God led them to victory and 135,000 Midianite soldiers were defeated in the battle. This illustrates one powerful principle. God would not act without man's cooperation, and Israel could have not overcome the enemy without the wisdom and power of God.

After the defeat the Israelites urged Gideon to be their king, it was an appeal to his pride, but Gideon knew that it was not he who had saved the people, but God who saved them. "Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you." (Judges 8:22-23). Gideon knew that only God was the one that was capable of ruling them and as a judge of Israel he also knew that they needed God to guide them.

We too have only One King, yes we may have several people to obey in life, but there is only One True King, our Lord Jesus Christ. " That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen." (I Timothy 6:14-16).

The Israelites were peaceful and content while Gideon was alive, but soon after his death they fell right back into sin. "And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel." (8:32-35).

Gideon's son, Abimelech was cruel and cunning and would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. As soon as Gideon died he negotiated a large sum of money from the Baal temple treasury to pay men to murder 70 of his brothers, who might have challenged his leadership. "And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him. And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself." (9:1-5). At the moment of Abimelech's proudest achievement, Jotham, who escaped execution, warned that they would soon discover that this self made king would bring suffering and death upon them as well as upon himself.

Abimelech is an example of a person controlled by the deceptive and destructive forces of greed. He was determined to pursue his selfish needs regardless of whom he hurt. He is a reminder that we can not become obsessive by the treasures of the world. God provides us with all our needs and even blesses us with things we desire, but do not be deceived. God knows our hearts. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." (Galatians 6:7-8).

Today's Psalm: 36:1-2
"The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful."

Today's Prayer:
Dear God,
Help us to rid ourselves of habits and attitudes that bring a complaining, greedy, ungrateful or begrudging spirit. Renew us with a persistent spirit of joyful praise, contentment, and gratitude for as long as we live. We rejoice in your goodness toward us and in Your steadfast love that never ceases. In Jesus' Name.......Amen.

Have a blessed night/day.
God Bless You,
Christina

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