WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?  IT REALLY DOES MATTER!

Psalms 35:27 & 28 “Let them shout for joy and e glad who favor my righteous cause; and let them SAY CONTINUALLY, Let the Lord be magnified who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.  And my tongue shall speak of Your righteousness and of Your praise ALL THE DAY LONG.”

In the Book of Judges, Chapter 6, there is a powerful story about a man named Gideon.  His life and that of his family, and even broader than that, the children of Israel are about to be changed in a big way.  But first God had to change this man’s very poor self-image so that His will could be performed.  Gideon had to be willing.

Here was a man threshing wheat by the winepress, trying to survive and just get by, while hiding from his enemies.  Gideon’s experiences had taught him that every time he would sow something which produced crops his enemies would come and steal from him.  But, when his people began to cry out to God for answers something amazing and wonderful happened!

In essence, the Lord said that He had brought them up from Egypt and out of the house of bondage.  He told them he had delivered them out of the hands of ALL who oppressed them and, not only that, He gave them their land.  He also told them, I am the Lord, our God. As you read this it is important for you to realize as well that God is interested in you, as an individual, as well!  He specifically told them:  “Do not fear their gods in whose land you dwell, but you have not obeyed my voice.”

What was God saying?  I had a great plan for you….but you forgot and chose another direction.

In Verse 12, it says:  “And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “the Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!”  Gideon, then in shock that someone thought that highly of him said, “Oh my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us and where are all the miracle which our Fathers told us about saying did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?”  Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites, have I not sent you?”  So, Gideon said to the Lord, “How can I save Israel?  Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my Father’s house.”

Can you relate to see of the questions that Gideon asked God?  If so, let’s look at some powerful truths that can cause you to say the same thing God says concerning you!

1.     God said He bought the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt to ring them into something great!

2.  When they took their eyes off of God and quit talking about all that He had done for them and   

     was planning to do, they began to fear and fell captive to their enemies.  Fear leads to   

     feelings of despair, and frustration that then leads to questioning the faithfulness of God to

     His promises which is the vehicle the enemy still uses to try to defeat you and get you off

     track.

3.  God had to get Gideon to begin seeing himself as God saw him and to realize He had a

     purpose for him.  That is why God addressed him as “a Mighty Man of Valor,” when in

     essence, at that time Gideon was anything but a man of valor.  He was literally hiding himself  

     from his enemies instead of standing up to them with his confidence in the God that had 

     already delivered he and his family out of bondage.  Gideon was living in fear.  He basically

     said to God, “Do you realize who you are talking to?”  Don’t you know, God, there is not 

    anyone who has any respect for our family?  We are the least in the city and I am the least in

    my family!”

    In Verse 24, after God had convinced Gideon that he was a Mighty Man of Valor, it says

    Gideon built and altar and called it: “The Lord is Peace.”  He then became what God declared

    him to be when he accepted and began talking about who God was to him.

4.  The exciting and vital principle here for everyone who puts their faith and trust in God is that

     peace and prosperity are God’s ideas.  The literal meaning in Hebrew for these two words,

     peace and prosperity, both in the Old and New Testaments, is Shalom.  Take this to heart

     today in your life and circumstances—Shalom means the following:

  

     -To be made safe in mind, body or estate

     -To be complete

     -To make restitution and restoration

     -To fare well - or to be prosperous and whole!

     As our leading Scripture so early affirms, if you will favor God’s righteous cause, which has

     so much to do with your conversation and what you talk about on a regular basis, the Lord

     will be magnified and you will be blessed  As you go about the Father’s business growing in

     the knowledge of His intentions that He has established in His Word and a knowledge of the

     finished work of Christ on the cross for you as an individual, prosperity and peace will be the

     you let the Lord be magnified.  Your life represents His will for you.  He is the God of 

     restoration of that which has been lost.

5.  Gideon had to destroy the altars of Baal that his family had set up before God could give him

     victory. 

It is extremely important that you realize that one of the big mindsets today that can and will hinder you fulfilling your dream and God’s will for your life is unbelief.  Doubting the goodness of God is a form of unbelief.  Everyone believes in something or someone  Take time on a regular basis to check out who or what your confidence is in.  Words like: “My family never has had anything” or “Things won’t change now because…..” or “Where I live there are no opportunities” or There is no way I can be promoted this year,” etc., etc., etc!  All of these types of statements are self-inflicting words that will sabotage your purpose in life and can bring defeat despair and open doors for lack to come into your life.

Gideon had a choice to say with the “same fear-filled image” or go with God’s image.

The same choice is yours.  Focus on God’s image of you daily and watch your situations in life change!

You can decide today to become a “Mighty Man or Woman of Valor.  This means you are on the way to becoming a person of virtue, a person of strength, of might, of power, riches and substance.  Decide to agree with God!

(This Teaching is from my book, “Power Thoughts for Triumphant Living,” pages 11-14)