Give it a rest!

Greetings fellow warriors!
 
Good stuff at the lodge this week. Thanks to those who were able to participate in person. 
 
So here is the progression we are on – simple, but not necessarily easy:

• Anytime God calls us to fight, He is after our allegiance (Worship).
• Anytime we worship, God fights and we win (His battle, His glory).
• Anytime God fights and we win, we celebrate (Recognition, Thanks).

 Worship is the before, the during, and the after constant here. Worship draws our eyes upward, off ourselves and toward God. Worship relies on God, acknowledges God, rests in God.
 
The arc of Gideon’s life was a rise from fear to faith, followed by a descent from faith into pride. The first inkling we have that this story will not end well is found in Judges 7:18
 
“When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, then you also blow the trumpets all around the camp and say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”
 
Part of Gideon was already beginning to forget how he had gotten to that point. As the story proceeds, we find Gideon stealing some of God’s glory, in search of revenge and respect. Soon he would desire and accept monetary tribute and worshipful homage as well. “Well, after all, when God needed to get rid of the Midianites, who did He call? Yeah, that’s what I thought!”
 
Fear and pride are two sides of the same coin of self-centeredness. One side focuses on “I can’t, so I won’t try”; the other on “I can, I will, and you better not try to stop me”. Neither are based in the truth of a loving God Who fights for us. We have to finish better than Gideon did on this score. If we are running our own agenda, we’re going to get tripped up. This week, take a breath…. Think about what it means to rest….