Bolsterer

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life.  You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with Your right hand You save me.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me.  Your Love endures forever!” Psalm 138:7-8

“I have loved you with an everlasting love.  I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3

When the massive, enemy army moved in and camped within Israel’s borders, Gideon was afraid; he was shaking like a bowl of jello. However, God’s Holy Spirit took possession of Gideon and instead of running, he got on his phone and sent a text to all the fighting men of Israel. Just kidding, of course. Not having cell phones he used a ram’s horn to announce the call to arms. I imagine they would sound the horns from village to village until the message to come to Israel’s defense spread across the country.

Even though the Spirit of the Lord was with him, and even though all the fighting men answered the call, after many years of not fighting the enemy, Gideon was still afraid. But instead of running or hiding, he turned to God. He asked for a sign.

“If this is really You, God, if You really want me to do this insane thing and rescue Israel like You said, then please show me by making the fleece I put on the ground wet and the ground dry.”

A reasonable thing, don’t you think. If I’m faced with a difficult thing, I want a sign, an affirmation that it’s from God. I will ask him to close the door if it’s not what He wants me to do, or put up a road block, or show me in some way the direction He wants me to go.

So the next morning the ground was dry and the piece of fleece (probably a covering that Gideon used to wrap up in at night) was wet. So wet, he wrung out a whole bowl full of water.

Ok then, that should have been enough of a sign, but it wasn’t for Gideon. He might have explained it away, like, well maybe the fleece which is super absorbent, soaked up all the water around it. Or the ground just dried out quicker. Maybe he just wanted to make sure it was God and not himself doing this thing. Although I’m sure going against a huge army was not the adventure he was dying to have. I’m sure he figured this adventure would be the death of him. Maybe he was looking for a way out.

“Please,” he said very respectfully, “don’t be angry with me but let me make one more request.” Just one more sign, God please. “I’ll put the fleece out one more night. This time let the fleece be dry and the ground be wet. Then I’ll know for sure it is You, Lord.”

The next morning the ground was all wet from the dew and the fleece was bone dry.

How much did God care about Gideon?

      Lover of My Soul

Why is it I forget how much I mean to my God? How special and unique I am to my Savior?

He says He knows and cares when even a sparrow falls. He knows how many hairs are on my head. Yet Jesus says I am more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows!

Yet I forget. And I am afraid I don’t forget how great He is, or how powerful, or how much He loves the world, but I do forget how much I am worth to Him. I forget how deep His love goes for me.

Even after all the dark valleys He and I have walked through hand in hand, after all the pits I have fallen in, after all the tough rocky uphill climbs, even after the sheer cliffs where He has taken my hands and put them in hand holds and taken my feet and put them in foot holds, I forget.

Even after standing on the mountains tops, after running on the heights, after soaring, even after all the dry deserts my Lord and I have walked through, I have forgotten. After all the times He has held me in His hands, when I have fallen on the slippery slopes and He has picked me up, after the times I couldn’t go on any more, or the times I fell to my belly unable to get up and with His arms around me, He gave me strength to walk again, yes even after all of that, I forget how much He loves me.

I have seen my Savior’s face, where I saw the love in His eyes. I felt His arms around me. I experienced His comfort. I have heard His voice. I know He chuckles and even out right laughs at me at times. I know He weeps for me. And oh yes, He bottles up my tears and saves them. He never forgets my pain. He is there always with me. I lean on Him, I walk with Him, I talk to Him. He is the refuge, the cave I run to in trouble. He is the Rock I stand on. He is my Deliverer.

He personally and intimately knows me and loves me. His love is as deep as the oceans, as wide as the universe, as high as Heaven, as abundant as God’s grace, as unending and unchanging as God is Himself. Yet I forget.

And, like Gideon I am afraid. When the very thing I fear most comes upon me in a really big army, my knees knock together and my legs shake. I asked for a signs, yes I did. For affirmation that He will be with me and take care of me and for direction for the path I should go. He has answered. Every one of my tests are normal. Friends have told me they struggle with the same thing I am and they find a way to fight. When I cried out to Him, He said, “Don’t be afraid! You are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!”

But yet, I still forget. Then He reminds me again.

The other day sitting on a hill, I talked to my Jesus. I basked in His light for He is Light. I was drawn into His presence and His love surrounded me. I cried out to Him for deliverance from my adversary.
“Child,” came His whisper, “I hold you in My hands. You are very precious to Me.”

That was all, but that was enough. In my mind came a picture of His scarred hands surrounding me, holding me, protecting me. I felt peace flow into my soul.
With love like that on my side how can I be afraid? He has me! He has my back! The King of the universe, the Keeper of the stars, the Prince of Heaven’s armies, holds me securely in His mighty hands. And NOTHING can snatch me away!

Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
What is the price of two sparrows, one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.
And the very hairs on your head are all numbered.
So don’t be afraid! You are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows!” Math. 10:19-31