Is desperate need the starting point for putting faith into practice? There are moments in our life where our need is totally desperate. We have tried everything, but nothing works. Who can help us?
Do not believe that your desperate need leaves God indifferent! But it is true we can always try to make it through with a defensive strategy.
Once is a council meeting of an evangelical church, they spent hours trying to find solutions to the numerous problems of the assembly. Discussions lasted for hours but no solution was found. One counselor timidly suggested they pray to God to find an answer. Another counselor who loved to discuss and talk, cried out, “Prayer? Is our situation that bad”?
It was the case at the time of Gideon when the people were under pressure from the Midianites. They preferred hiding in caves than crying out to God.
(Of course, they had probably cried out to Baal for years, but since it is not a true god, no solution was given).
2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves, and strongholds (Judges 6.2)
The desperate need comes from the impossibility “laying low” any longer.
But when the Midianites came at the time of sowing to destroy all possible productions of the land, the need of Israelites was totally desperate. They finally decided to cry out for help from the Only One who had the power to do so.
3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples invaded the country. 4 They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. 5 They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count them or their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. 6 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help (Judges 6.3-6)
The need was so desperate that they had no more means to live. And the enemy was happy with that because they wanted to kick the people of Israel out of the land God had given them.
By his nature, the enemy plunders the goods of others. It is easier than creating riches himself.
This is the devil’s nature. John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy
God gives a reason for the oppression
A prophet came to remind the people they didn’t go to the end of their mission to chase away the Midianites and Amorites when they had the chance. Now they have rebuilt their strength and have become oppressors. But God has already shown his power to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptian oppressor.
Even if we don’t know where the solution is, God knows. Practical Faith is to believe it.
He noticed a young man called Gideon.
The Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior. But Gideon didn’t feel at all like a hero. Of course, later, he discovered what made the difference was « The Lord is with you” (Judges 6.12)
But like so many, he questioned God. For the circumstances seemed to indicate that God had abandoned them long ago.
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” (Judges 6.13)
We have a desperate need and we have prayed. But are You the answer to our prayers?
And anyway, he didn’t feel up to the challenge at all.
- We don’t have the means
- Our family has no authority to raise an army.
14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” (Judges 6.15)
It is true when you are part of the family of God, His resources are made available. And when we are sent under His authority, the enemy cannot resist you. Even if it has been 7 long years that the enemy has been putting you and your family under pressure.
God is the Alpha and the Omega. He sees the situation from the beginning to the end. And He saw the Midianite army beaten and would not dare to come back for 40 years.
For our thinking through:
- What are the physical and spiritual assets the enemy has plundered from you? When will you decide to ask God to stop this continual plundering?
- What battle has God asked you to engage? You don’t have all the strength needed, but you can go with the strength you have.
- Even if this situation of oppression has lasted 7 years or more, you are the beloved of the Lord. You have called Him for help.
- “With God, we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies”. (Psalms 108.13)
- When you have your marching orders from God, no enemy or obstacle can resist you. God has a battle plan that is sure to succeed. But He only reveals it as we obey to do the first step. (He doesn’t want the counterintelligence of the enemy to know His strategy)
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(Read Judges chapters 6-8)
(Day 23) Stop the plunder and looting
