Gideon Finally Believed

The morning air was fresh complemented by the bird's chirping and a little breeze coming through my window calms my soul. I talked with God and also asked Him if there are any stories or particular verses He would like to speak to me today. And soon with my Touchpoint bible NLT, i went to the topic of Decision Making. Truly as bible believing Christians , we know we should seek wisdom from the Lord for major decisions we need to make.
The verses that I read that stood out was..

Psalm 25:4 Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow
- Right decisions are found to be inline with the truth found in God's word,  a humble prayer.

Proverbs 18:13 Intelligent people are always open to new ideas. In fact, they look for them.
- Not many people like to do this but I felt it helps alot along with seeking God.

Then finally it brought me to the story of Gideon and how God used a timid, fearful man to conquer the Midianites. The highlights of the story for me is this, I like to make it point form for easier reading.

1. Gideon was hiding away scared when God called Him.
2. He had the priviledge of seeing an angel of God face to face. *I prayed I would see too :)
3. God told him he would have victory over Midianites but Gideon asked for God confirmation 3 times. Even after having an encounter with the angel of God. God was nice enough to confirm for him instead of knocking his head and say" How many times do I have to tell you, then forget it, I'll get somebody else."
4. It was nice to read how God make the fleece wet but the ground dry and vice versa. Gideon finally believed that God will give victory to Gideon over the Midianites after 3 confirmations.
5. To show the Israelites that God is truly with them, He asked Gideon to cut the army down to just 300men to win over 10000 Midianites or more. Wow!
6. And finally they won, Gideon also received prosperity through the ornaments he took from the enemies. Sad to say after Gideon had passed away, the Israelites went back to worship Baal.

Read it on your own, allow God to teach and encourage you through Gideon at Judges 6 - 8. God Bless!

God in Everything

A life without involving God is a life of recklessness, a series of ups and downs, a repetition of mistakes and similarly to sitting in a car without a driver.

How do we stay connected with Him?

We need to spend time with Him (studying the Word, talking to him, praying for others, worship Him) and the real application comes in the life we live.  

And God should be in Everything that we do.

Just like a husband and wife needs their intimate moments together so do we with the Father. A time where no one or nothing can intrude. Receiving first hand from God is the best and the experience will keep you wanting more. Whatever teaching resources that helps us to grow closer to God and read the Word more, that is an encouragement tool to keep, but if it makes us depend on that resource to know God more, then that is a distraction. A distraction that pulls you away from being directed connected to Him.

Paslms 84:1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
2  My soul longs, yes, faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh sing for joy
to the living God.

3 Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
4  Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
ever singing your praise! Selah

Peace in Turmoil

The wind was breathing hard and swifting through the trees right outside my house, makes me think about the tsunami in Japan. How many lives affected and tears shed. A history made by Tsunami.

I whispered a prayer for the victims that they will find refuge and peace in God. I hope through this unsightly event, people will turn to God and not away from Him.
God does not promise us bed of roses but a rainbow after the rain. Life may not be what it seems however we have something to look forward to as earth is just our temporary home. God and the angels awaits us in heaven with a new body and a mansion for each of us.

May we find Him even in the midst of storms and know He is sovereign above all. My anxious heart became stilled as I remembered who God is. He is my Prince of Peace.

You are Special by Max Lucado

A beautiful simple story especially for the young hearts but a gentle reminder to the rest of us of how much God cares for us.
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But aseek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.