Manna for Your Morning

When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.” — Judges 6:12 (NIV) “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us?” At some point in our lives, many of us have probably asked God this same question. Gideon went on to say that the LORD had abandoned them. But notice that the angel of the LORD didn’t give place to Gideon’s misplaced perspective. 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?” (Judges 6:14). Instead of wallowing in self-pity and misery, stay focused on the mission at hand and GO in the strength of the LORD, you mighty man or woman of God. You have been sent with a purpose! The LORD is with YOU!

“...drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.” — Numbers 33:52-53 (NIV) The children of Israel were to completely drive out the inhabitants of the land and destroy everything that belonged to them. Anyone they let remain would be irritants in their eyes and thorns in their sides, and they would harass them in the land (Numbers 33:55 NKJV). God has given us a promise land to possess. If there are some harassing things going on, some thorns in our sides, then there remains some things that need to be destroyed, in order for us to occupy the land and settle in it. Is it pride? Offense? Self-pity? Rebellion? Whatever it is, drive it out and take possession of your promised land!