Facing the Challenge

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.”

Judges 7:6–7

God gave Gideon a challenge like few others have faced. The vast host of the Midianite army numbered far more than one hundred thousand. Yet God sent Gideon into battle with three hundred unarmed men. One commentator describes it this way: “It is scarcely possible to conceive a severer trial than the command to attack the overwhelming forces of the enemy, with such a handful of followers. But Gideon’s faith in the divine assurance of victory was steadfast; and it is for this he is so highly commended.”

The devil tells us that the things God wants us to do are impossible. He tries to defeat us before the battle even begins by using fear and discouragement to weaken our hearts and undermine our faith. Gideon certainly did not have perfect faith—he repeated the test with the fleece on the ground twice and then wanted still further confirmation before fighting the battle. But when the moment of truth came, he was willing to put his life on the line and do what God had told him to do.

This is true courage. It is not the complete absence of fear or a perfect faith. Instead, it is the willingness to walk ahead into an unseen future and face every challenge that comes with our trust in the promises of God. The devil is a liar, and if we believe him we will lose out on the victories that God has in store for us.

Today's Growth Principle
If God is on our side, the size of the problem is immaterial to the final result.

Old Testament Reading

Psalm 16-17

PSALM 16

Michtam of David.

¹ Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. ² O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; ³ But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. ⁴ Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips. ⁵ The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. ⁶ The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. ⁷ I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

⁸ I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. ⁹ Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. ¹⁰ For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. ¹¹ Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

PSALM 17

A Prayer of David.

¹ Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. ² Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal. ³ Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. ⁴ Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer. ⁵ Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. ⁶ I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. ⁷ Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.

⁸ Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, ⁹ From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about. ¹⁰ They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly. ¹¹ They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth; ¹² Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places. ¹³ Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword: ¹⁴ From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes. ¹⁵ As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

New Testament Reading

Acts 20:1-16

¹ And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia. ² And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece, ³ And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia. ⁴ And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. ⁵ These going before tarried for us at Troas. ⁶ And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.

⁷ And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. ⁸ And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. ⁹ And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. ¹⁰ And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. ¹¹ When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. ¹² And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

¹³ And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot. ¹⁴ And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene. ¹⁵ And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus. ¹⁶ For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 16

¹ The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. ² All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. ³ Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. ⁴ The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. ⁵ Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. ⁶ By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. ⁷ When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. ⁸ Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right. ⁹ A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps. ¹⁰ A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment. ¹¹ A just weight and balance are the LORD'S: all the weights of the bag are his work. ¹² It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness. ¹³ Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right. ¹⁴ The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it. ¹⁵ In the light of the king's countenance is life; and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain. ¹⁶ How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! ¹⁷ The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul. ¹⁸ Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. ¹⁹ Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. ²⁰ He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he. ²¹ The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. ²² Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly. ²³ The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips. ²⁴ Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. ²⁵ There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. ²⁶ He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him. ²⁷ An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire. ²⁸ A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends. ²⁹ A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good. ³⁰ He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass. ³¹ The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness. ³² He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. ³³ The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.