#handmadeforapurpose Archives -

Strongholds – brick by brick

I wanted to share these insights in relation to last week’s ‘strongholds’ topic in our small group. Quoting from the ‘Freedom in Christ’ book, “A stronghold is a belief or habitual pattern of thinking that is not consistent with what God tells us is true”. Psychologists might call them ‘defense mechanisms’. An easy way to understand a stronghold is allowing the devil to build a mansion in our hearts and minds and dwell there. A stronghold is not built by him overnight in anyone’s mind. He builds it brick by brick without catching our attention. Hence, we need to be very careful about anything we do that might give him the foothold to start building – anything that is against what God says in the Bible. Unforgiveness, pride, ego, jealousy, selfishness – these are just a few examples. Hence, the verse says, in 2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”. Most of the time, the root source of a stronghold is some kind of hurt. To avoid any further hurts, or to soothe ourselves from the past hurt, we raise defense mechanisms. Anything that we do by human nature is against God’s Word, because of our fallen sinful nature. A spiritual walk is done intentionally with effort, while human nature comes naturally with no effort.

Some of the strongholds start with vows and pacts that sound like this, “I will never do this … “. I would like to share this from my life. As I might have mentioned before too, I grew up as the only child and whenever Appa was angry, he would threaten me and Amma that he would throw us out of the house. I grew up with the fear of landing on the streets and so much bitterness and anger towards Appa. When I got married, I felt secure in Suresh’s parent’s house. And I said to myself, “I will never stay at my parent’s house again, because now I have a safe place”. In 18 years of marriage, I never stayed at my parents’ house for even a night. Though at the time, I did not know that these were strongholds, God in His mercy broke them. The first and the only time I stayed in that house after my marriage was on the day when Amma went to be with the Lord. The reason why I am sharing this is, that even though we claim to be believers, we lack understanding of God’s ways and are clueless of the devil’s tactics. Devil does not come up with new strategies, because most of them we are not even aware of his usual schemes. Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”.

  Think of any deep hurt that has happened to you, any criticism, any inferiority complex, and see what survival skill you developed to defend yourself. That has a great chance of being a stronghold unless it aligns with God’s Word and You let God be your defender. To help understand better, I can share one more thing. Initially, I could not work for many years and we all know the taunts that we hear from people whenever we visit India. Finally, when God gave me the job, I became a very arrogant person. “Look at me, God is on my side”.  All the hurts that I kept bottled up came out as arrogance. And again, God in His good mercy took me through some paths of humility, humbled me, and reminded me that if He could give me the job, He could take it back too, unless I fix my attitude 🙂 Of course, that puts things in perspective.

The reason I share these insights about strongholds is if we do not even know that there is a battle that is being waged at us constantly, we are defeated already. One prayer I learned to do is to constantly check for strongholds and ask God to show them to me and break them in the Name of Jesus. No stronghold is built overnight. Once the devil builds a stronghold in you, it is like he has a strong hold on you. Unless you take that space back and give it in Jesus’ control, you become his slave. Remember Jesus’ words – John 14:30 “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me.” This is how Jesus expects us to live, by giving no room for the devil to have any claim on us.

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Closed door

In the past few New Year’s, I watched the New Year service themes of some prominent churches in India. They come up with very blessed themes, like year of flourishing, open heavens, and such. But, you know what, not even once I heard a theme called, ‘year of closed door’ 🙂 Because we like only open doors. Closed doors are frowned upon as ‘negative words,’ and we get reminded of Proverbs 18:21 – the power of the tongue. Our human mindset is, even when we wait for a door to open, we don’t want the current door to expel us out. Our preference is for the door to open without having to be in the hallway. Most likely, God does not open any doors without expelling us into the hallway, so that our eyes will seek the next door. An open door does not happen when you are within your comfort zone. The descendants of Abraham were promised the land of Canaan. Even though God Himself took Jacob’s descendants to Egypt through Joseph, both Jacob and Joseph prophesied that God will take the Israelites to the promised land. Just as God had told Abraham, that his descendants will serve in a foreign nation for 400 years, the Israelites sighed and groaned in their afflictions by the Egyptians. And God heard it.

If there is one thing that no one can stop, it is God’s favor. Israelites are God’s chosen people. Even when they were stiff-necked and rebellious and tested God’s patience all the time, He never failed to feed them and protect them in the wilderness. If God’s favor is on someone, man’s favor is a perk that comes along with it. Joseph received favor wherever He was put. Even though it seemed like one misery to another, those were the paths that God had ordained for his foretold destiny. Esther, though a lowly and despised beginning as an orphan, God granted her favor wherever she went. The king even offered half his kingdom for her. David was successful in whatever he did. Daniel and his friends received favor with the king. These people received favor in God’s eyes and thus in others’ eyes, because they set themselves apart to be obedient to God, even when they had to take a stand for God and be all by themselves. These kinds of rewards do not simply fall on anyone’s lap. When we take a stand for God, He stands up for us. When God stands up for us, no one can stand against Him.

When a mother is pregnant with a baby, at one point, the baby needs to be expelled out. We, as ‘once upon a time’ pregnant moms, would think about our baby in the womb, and also think of them after they are born, as we make purchases for them in preparation for their coming. We don’t dwell much on thinking of the process of the delivery as it is painful. But, without that painful process, the expelling of the baby into our hands cannot happen. The growing discomforts as the time nears make us long for the baby to come out, even through that painful process. So, yes, hallway is not where we want to be, but as it leads to the next door, my prayer is for a closed door – to begin with.

Revelation 3:7-8 These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

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Your Servant

I have memorized 80 Bible Verses in 2024 Last year it was 150.

Today I finished memorizing Psalm 116. Verse 15 is close to my heart. (15) Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants. When I was with amma in the hospital in her last 2 weeks, I read the Bible for her everyday and prayed with her. On that wednesday in Jan 2021, I happened to read this chapter to her. I did not realize that this chapter had this verse. As I got to this verse, I choked on it. I wanted to skip that verse, but then I did not skip it but read it because I did not plan on that verse and God ordains our steps. I did not know at the time, but I felt so terrible that I started to read this chapter without realizing this verse was in it. In about a couple of hours, amma gasped for breath and said, “She is going to see Jesus” and was put in the ventilator.

That day I did not notice verse 16. Today as I memorized that verse, I felt pretty amazed if that verse was written about me. Ofcourse, there would be many who can relate to it as the Bible is the Living water that quenches the world’s thirst. Verse 16 – Truly I am Your servant, LORD; I serve You just as my mother did; You have freed me from my chains.”

Amma was a silent prayer warrior who was written off as a failure by the world, including me. But, as I went through her prayer journals, I realized what a prayer warrior she was. Back then, I did not want anything like amma. But, as I read this verse 16, like her, I just want to be God’s servant. Being His servant is my privilege.

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What if?

Pondering on the transformation of Peter from John chapter 21 to Acts chapter 2. One profound insight that I received in my discipleship class is to read the Bible with fresh eyes as if I am reading it for the first time. We who grew up in churches hear the story first and then read it in the Bible and that robs us of the attention to the details. To me, it feels like the fruit has been waiting to ripen all this time and now suddenly it did.

“What if?” – these 2 words could entirely change our faith and our lives. Jesus was with the disciples for more than three years. Provisions met. Food needs met. Attention in the eyes of the public as decorated servants. They did not need to think of their old professions for a livelihood. That could be why, when Jesus talked about His awaited suffering and death, Peter rebuked Jesus saying that it should not happen to Him. Though Jesus had been foretelling them repeatedly about His crucifixion and death, as their time of understanding and revelation had not come yet, they were blinded and deaf. Before they could process what was happening, Jesus was crucified and buried in the tomb. Imagine the devastation that the disciples must have felt! Their lives changed upside down when their good shepherd was slaughtered. What now? Forget being the royal servants, now the tables have turned and they were afraid to even go out of their houses.

Peter thought that there was no point in wasting any more time. It is best to become practical and go dust up the fishing nets and go back to the fishing profession. In a way that would put some security on his life as the chief priests and others would not consider the disciples as a threat anymore. As in Zechariah 13:7, the shepherd was struck and the sheep fled for their lives.

John chapter 21 – When the calling was to catch men for Jesus, the attempt to catch fish was futile. Jesus gave them a repeat of their first “Follow Me” call. This time He awaited them with a prepared meal. I truly have no words about the heart of Jesus in this place. After the meal, Jesus restores Peter by asking the question, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” indicating that if You are not aligned with My calling, you are a simple Simon, and not Peter. Jesus asks Peter to feed His lamb and sheep. Could it be because Jesus being the good shepherd, passed on the rod and the staff to take care of the lamb and the sheep? Jesus did not forget the littlest lamb either. Isaiah 40:11 He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young. As Peter and the disciples experienced how it felt to be like scattered sheep, Jesus gave them the responsibility of taking care of His other sheep and lamb so they are not scattered by the wolves.

Jesus predicted to Peter about the kind of life he would live for the cost of the gospel and the kind of death by which He will glorify God. Then Acts chapter 2 happens and Peter stood up with the disciples, raised his voice, and addressed the crowd.

See, if Peter had not quoted these verses from the Old Testament and connected them with what had happened, about the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the betrayal that Judas did, and also the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, would we have understood just by reading those verses in the Old Testament?

Joel 2:28-38 In the last days. God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people.

Psalm 16:10 You will not abandon Me to the realm of the dead, You will not let Your holy one see decay.

Moses stated that a prophet will rise from among you and you must listen to everything that He says.

In my little wisdom, I wouldn’t have made any of these connections if Peter had not spoken in Acts chapter 2. And how did Peter suddenly make all these connections from the Old Testament? Luke 12:12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say. It was the work of the Holy Spirit whom they explicitly received just then.

Now, back to my “what if?” question. If Jesus had not resurrected from the dead and had not appeared to these disciples for 40 days and showed them signs and miracles throughout that time thus proving Himself as resurrected, what would have happened? The disciples would have gone back to their fishing and whatever professions and there would not have been anything called the Christian faith. If this Jesus had not made Himself so real to them after He was crucified by resurrecting back to life, why would these disciples, instead of going back to their safe profession, take a U-turn and go about spreading the gospel of Christ and up to the point of being martyred for the sake of their faith in Christ. Just as Jesus predicted to Peter in John chapter 21, Peter gave himself to be crucified upside down as he did not consider himself worthy to be crucified in the same manner as Christ. If something profound had not happened, like the resurrection of Christ, would anyone in their right mind choose a path like this?

What makes me still ponder on the restoration of Peter? Because I can relate to Peter a lot. My common statement is, “Lord, You are worth my everything, my breath, and my life”. I understand that Peter also said the same in the strength of his flesh, which could not sustain him. But the outpouring of the Holy Spirit accomplished everything that Jesus had purposed with Peter’s life. So I commit my desire unto the nail-pierced hands of Jesus. May He equip me to accomplish whatever He has purposed through me, by pouring out His anointing upon me. Amen!

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God sent me a gift

In January of 2019, I started to take piano lessons. I never thought that I could take piano lessons in my 40s. I was talking to my son’s piano teacher about how even though my mom wanted me to take piano lessons when I was young, I did not get to take lessons. She immediately replied that she had adult students and if I was interested in taking lessons. By God’s grace, I said yes. By September 2019, I had started to learn my first worship song – ‘10000 reasons’. I was going through some tough times at work. It took a couple of months for me to finish that song. I loved to play this song which gave me unexplainable peace in my job situation.

One day when I went for my piano lessons, my teacher took me to the traditional piano in the recital room and asked me to play ‘10000 Reasons’ on it. I loved the sound of that piano as I had never played a traditional piano before that. I immediately had a desire to buy a used traditional piano. I came across used pianos in the Facebook marketplace with so many of them given away for free. In my mind, I did not want to go to someone’s home and take this piano for ‘free’. I was willing to pay a very small amount for it. I reached out to so many people who had listed their pianos and they all replied that someone else was taking it. I left it to God saying, “Jesus, You lead me towards that piano which You have in store for me”. By then my biggest need was a job and piano had become ‘nice to have’.

One day casually I was checking the Facebook marketplace for pianos and I saw a seller who had 4 friends in common with me, listed the piano for $50. And I realized that all 4 of them go to our church. I asked the seller two questions – “Is the Piano still available? Do you go to Calvary church?”. He replied, “Yes to both questions”. He also added that he was the principal of Calvary Christian School. In my mind, I thought that I could convince him to hold the piano for me as we went to the same church after all. At the same time, I heard these words spoken in my mind, “This piano is yours”. I know this voice that speaks because whatever I “hear” in this manner, it always comes true. But, the seller added, “Someone else is coming to see the piano. If they don’t take it, you can come and check it out”. My mind voice replied, “They won’t take it. This piano is MINE”. Before I heard back from him, we got the shocking news that my mother-in-law passed away and so my husband immediately traveled to India. I was so shaken by this unexpected situation of losing my mother-in-law and watching the funeral online. In the meantime, the seller contacted me saying that the other party had found a means to take the piano so he had to be fair and give the piano to them. The funeral was on Thursday. On Saturday evening, as I was folding the laundry, I was asking God, “God, was it You who told me about the piano or not? Because I heard in the same manner about a job too! And if ‘that voice’ was not Yours, I am doomed for the job thing too”.

The next day after attending the English church service, I was sitting at our Indian church and I got a message from the seller saying that the other party could not take the piano and asked if I still wanted it. I replied, “Praise the LORD! I knew this piano is mine!”

I took some guys from the Indian church and brought the piano home. I had prepared a spot for the piano. My husband was in doubt that the piano would be too big to fit in that spot. But guess what? The piano fit in that spot so perfectly that I believe with all my heart that God prepared that spot for my piano, though this house was built around 10 years before we even bought it.

My God sent me a gift for my birthday which is still the most valuable birthday gift that I have received thus far. And I am still taking piano lessons, doing worship every day even with all my inadequacies in skills and understanding. I have done 5 recitals so far – all of them with worship songs, twice on grand piano. The first time I ever got to play on a grand piano, I played “You raise me up” which was the song that inspired me to learn a musical instrument in the first place. Isn’t God so faithful and keen on the details?

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, And He will give you the desires of your heart.

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Call her Blessed

Proverbs 31:28 Her children arise and call her blessed.

Today is Amma’s third anniversary. For the past few days, the above verse repeatedly came to my mind. Amma was no Proverbs 31 woman. For a long time, she was one person I did not want to end up like. In the world’s eyes, she was a failure, who lived a life of misery. But now, when I look back, I see her as a blessed woman because she finished her race with the words, “Naan Yesappava paaaka poren (I am going to see Jesus)”. Life can be a failure or it can even be a success in the world’s eyes but unless one finishes the race in Christ, it is a failure for sure.

But now when I look back, God has been so faithful towards her. All through her life, without wavering for one bit, Amma held on to God. Though her life did not seem to get any better, she held on to God. Though probably she did not realize it, I now understand very well that she truly was a blessed woman because I can see now that God has answered ALL her prayers. She always prayed that she would not suffer from sickness. Though she was diagnosed with cancer at its terminal stage, she suffered no pain from it. Amma would always quote the entire of Psalm 91 and Psalm 128 every time she prayed. And even through the times of the pandemic, God protected her from the virus. Though she was a very shy person, she had even gone to some neighbors and shared the gospel with them. I went through a bunch of her journals in which she had prayed for so many people whose situations I had shared with her. Every time she would ask me to spell their name and the place they live, and I read in her journals that she prayed for them. She did all these things with no bells and whistles.

In her last two weeks, as she was in the hospital, every time I went out in an autorickshaw, I always sang this song, “En Koodave Irum, O Yesuve (Be always with me, Jesus)”. As this was in 2021 in the middle of the pandemic, I would wear the mask so no one could see or hear me sing, but every time I sang just the chorus of the song because that’s all the lyrics I knew in this song. But on that day, a Wednesday, early morning, I saw this song being posted in one of the church groups which was sung by my friend’s family. That is when I heard the stanzas and my mind immediately registered the second stanza for some reason. I kept singing this song’s second stanza in Amma’s room that day. The second stanza talks about how God will be my father and mother in my tears and sorrows. That was the last time she heard me sing. How faithful God is to tell me of what was coming!

I believe another thing God honored was her desire for me to learn to play the piano. I am just glad that I could play these chords and sing this song. God redeemed us and restored our relationships!

So many people helped my parents with everything and I pray for God’s blessings over each one of them! May God richly reward then for their kindness!

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The signet ring

Two men. Slaves in pagan nations. The kings of these nations took off their signet rings and gave them to these men – Joseph and Mordecai as if they were spellbound by the command of the Almighty God.

Any law that was sealed with the King’s signet ring could not be revoked. Whoever had the signet ring held the authority to pass any law or command anything they pleased. So it would seem that these men held higher authority than the king himself.

What made them special enough to receive this privilege? The reason was that neither of these men bowed down before any human authority. They feared Almighty God more than they feared their circumstances or the authority that demanded them to disobey God. Joseph did not yield to the wicked desires of his master’s wife. Mordecai did not bow down before Haman, the second in command of the nation. Their devotion to God made their living itself a question mark and yet they did not budge. And God rewarded them in due time with the King’s signet ring.

If these men had done just what everyone else was doing, they would have stayed one among everyone else. Their names made it in the Bible because they chose to obey God. Without obedience to God, there is no reward.

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The dreaded “bench”

Every now and then, life seats us on the dreaded bench- the bench that is broken, hard, uncomfortable, and with sharp edges. There is no one who is spared from it. Everyone gets their turn to sit on it. You are either someone who got off the dreaded bench just now, still sitting on it, or is about to sit on one. It is often a lonely place. No one would desire to accompany us on such a bench. No One, but Jesus! My Jesus! My Savior! My dearest friend! He is my everything! The One who took me out of the slimy pits and washed me off and made me clean and fragrant!

Isaiah 46:4 Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs, I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry and will deliver you.

Regardless of the kind of bench that we are seated on, God promised to be with us till we are old and gray, till our last breath! And He is more than enough!

When God puts us on a wait, He has a purpose. So many clouds of witnesses in the Bible who have gone before us can testify to that. Waiting can be painful and dreadful because of the uncertainty of its timeline and the outcome remains unknown.

Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk, and not faint.

Abraham and Sara have sat on this bench for a long period of time in their old age, waiting for the son whom God had promised to them. Just as God promised, they received Isaac even when Abraham had to wait till he was hundred years old.

Joseph saw two dreams when he was seventeen. He had to sit on this bench through slave time and prison time till he became thirty before his dreams got fulfilled.

God told Noah to build an ark and to warn the people about the upcoming judgment thru the flood. He had to sit on this bench for a hundred and twenty years enduring the mocking of people. The flood came just as God warned and Noah’s family was kept safe in the ark which he had built obediently and diligently.

Rachel had to wait on this dreaded bench for a child while her sister Leah was blessed with many children. God blessed Rachel with Joseph and Benjamin – Joseph became the reason all of Leah’s children were fed and protected, while out of Benjamin came the first King of Israel.

Hannah had to sit on this bench just like Rachel. Her misery was so great that she offered the child back to God if He would bless her with a son. And God blessed her with Samuel who became the prophet who anointed the first two Kings of Israel.

The list goes on. All those who waited on God in faith and perseverance witnessed the promise-keeping hand of God Almighty!

1 Peter 5:6,7 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Has God put you on this dreaded bench? His eyes are on you, just as the refiner’s eye is on the metal being refined in the fire. You are in the process of being made as precious in His eyes.

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EL Roi

Hagar, who was a slave of Sarai, had no entitlement to opinion when Sarai decided to give her as Abram’s wife. And Abram also did not bother reminding Sarai about the promise which God had given about their offspring. And Hagar conceived with Abram’s child. When Hagar saw that she had conceived, she despised her mistress, Sarai. And Sarai nagged Abram blaming him for this situation, though she was the one who had given Hagar as his wife. Isn’t it amazing how desperation and impatience lead to wrong decisions in the life of people? Abram and Sarai were not ordinary people but the ones who heard directly from God Himself and yet they gave in to their own wisdom and made the wrong choices.

Neither Sarai nor Abram took ownership of their choices. Abram left the decision to Sarai and Sarai treated Hagar harshly. This led Hagar to flee from Sarai.

The Angel of the LORD, who is Jesus Himself, met Hagar by a spring of water in the wilderness. He asked Hagar where she was going. Hagar replied to Him with all honesty that she was fleeing from Sarai. He told her to return to Sarai and to submit to her. He promised that He will multiply Hagar’s descendants. He gave the name for her child then and there and that was Ishmael meaning “The LORD has heard your afflictions”. Hagar called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You Are the God Who Sees”. In due time, Hagar bore Ishmael for Abram when he was 86 years old.

Abram was 100 years old when Isaac was born to Sarah, just as God had promised. During a feast of celebration for Isaac, Sarah ordered Hagar and Ishmael to be sent away from them. God also confirmed to Abraham to do as Sarah said. The next morning, Abraham took bread and a skin of water, gave it to Hagar, and sent her away with her son Ishmael.

Hagar and Ishmael wandered in the wilderness and the water in the skin ran out. They were on the verge of death due to thirst for water. She could not watch her son die of thirst so she put him under a shrub and stepped away at a distance and she wept loudly. And God heard the voice of Ishmael. The angel of God spoke to Hagar, “Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation”.

Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She filled the skin with water. Just as God promised, He made Ishmael’s descendants into a nation.

The first time when Hagar ran away from Sarai, God sent her back to Sarai. The second time, when Hagar was thrown away by Sarah, God took Hagar away to a new place and established her there. God has a purpose for us wherever He has planted us. When the right time comes, He will take our hand and lead us toward the destination.

No matter how difficult a place can be, we are to humble ourselves and be under the shadow of the wings of Almighty God.

Isaiah 40:28 The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. 29. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. 30. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, 31. But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary; They shall walk and not faint.

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A pitcher, a torch, and a trumpet

Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites who were constantly plundering the Israelites. The Angel of the LORD, who was Jesus Himself, appeared to Gideon in the winepress and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty warrior”. It is funny to see that God has a great humor sense to call a man who was in the hiding ‘a mighty warrior’. God calls us His warriors even when we are fearful. God calls us by the name of whom He will make us into, and not who we are in our weaknesses and failures.

Gideon replied to The Angel of God, “If the LORD is with us why has all this happened to us? Where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about the LORD bringing us from Egypt?” The LORD had abundant patience towards Gideon and did not point out to him that they were given in Midianites’ hands because of their own disobedience towards Almighty God. The LORD answered to him, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”.

God had tremendous patience towards Gideon even as he tested God three times to make sure God will surely go with him to the battle. Gideon took the people who were with him and encamped them opposite the enemy camp. The LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claims glory for itself against Me saying, ‘My own hand has saved me’.

So God tested the people who were with Gideon. He asked the people who were fearful to return to their houses and 22000 of them returned home. Then He tested the rest of them in the water. The ones who drank the water without caution about the enemies were asked to return. The army was now reduced to just 300 people. from the 33000 people who started off, Gideon’s army was reduced to just 300.

That night, the LORD told Gideon to go to the enemy camp so that He could strengthen Gideon through the words he would hear from the enemies. The Midianites and Amalekites were lying in the valley as numerous as the locusts and their camels were without number. And Gideon’s army was 300 people.

Gideon divided the people into 3 divisions and he gave a pitcher, a torch, and a trumpet to each of them. At the beginning of the middle watch, as they neared the enemy camp, they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers and shouted, “The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!”. When Gideon’s army blew the trumpet, the LORD set every man’s sword in the enemy’s camp against his own army’s companion and they all fled away. God gave victory to Gideon’s army just as He promised.

Two things that caught my attention are 1) God had so much patience towards Gideon though he dared to test God multiple times. God gave him provisions for his fear to be freed. 2) As usual with God’s ways, the unusual war weapons that God gave them, and cutting down the number of the army to make them completely dependent on God and to give the glory only to God and not to themselves.

Unimaginable to our little minds! 300 men with a pitcher, a torch, and a trumpet chased away an army as numerous as locusts. With God on our side, no battle is too big to defeat! In heavenly armor, we will enter the land, because the battle belongs to the LORD! AMEN!

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