The problem of too many

The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her,

Judges 7: 2

This post was inspired in part by a friend's BBM status 'Plenty, plenty options.' While on the surface, this could sound like a good thing, meditating on the verse above made me realise that too many can be a problem in itself. Sometimes, we limit ourselves and the flow of God through us because we feel we don't have enough but what we have is indeed enough and from Scripture I know that we serve a God who doesn't need so much anyway because in Himself He is more than enough. Having many open doors can just be as bad as having no open door because which one shall you go through? Most times I sacrifice the important for the urgent because there are so many things clamouring for time and attention, because I haven't made my main thing the main thing. Most importantly, when we are too talented, too gifted, too good we may forget that it is God who has given us the ability to do what we do. That it is His grace which is more than sufficient for our tasks.

The Love Test: From 32,000 to 10,000

....announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.' " So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear....The one who fears is not made perfect in love

1st John 4:18

In this passage, there was a battle to be fought. The people had been under oppression from Midian, symbolic of a devouring spirit. Regardless of the effort they put into sowing and tending their livestock, the Midianites appeared like a swarm of locusts to devour all they had at harvest time. I reject that spirit of sowing much and reaping little in our lives in Jesus name. God was raising an army to put the enemy to shame. The same is true for this generation. God is raising an army for the end times to battle the spirit of the AntiChrist, to preach the word, to encourage the wounded. As we all know, it's not everyone who signs to join the army that is eventually given army fatigues. There are physical tests, mental tests, different hurdles that they must go through before they can call themselves a soldier. Zoe Believers, the physical and spiritual are parallel. God gave them a 'Love Test', the Word says there is no fear in love. So if I'm 'fearing' I'm not loving. 32,000 people showed up, a good number for a lot did not even show up and yet God said 'too many'. God sees our hearts, He knows those that are for Him on the inside and not just PDA (Public Displays of Affection). Father forgive me, for I must let go of fear and walk in perfect love.22,000 people left..wow that's like over 69%. Do you love God more? More than what? More than anything? We cannot be like Lot's wife and look back. Father, I pray to pass the love test

The Readiness Test: From 10,000 to 300

But the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go; but if I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go."  So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.

God says, 'still too many', to put this into context the Bible says the Midianites, Amalekites and other Eastern people had joined forces against Israel. Hmm, so it wasn't a small battle. I thank God for the way He uses the 'foolish' things of this world to shame the 'wise'. Its like a team made up of 2 year olds winning the World Cup and displacing the likes of Brazil and Argentina! Many are called, few are chosen. Only 300 men were selected from 10,000 that's less than 10%! We may pass the love test but we must pass the readiness test as well. How ready are you to be used in the Kingdom, it will show by your conduct. Those who lapped with their hands to their mouths were aware of what was going on around them, the true mark of a soldier, readiness for whatever might come your way! Halleluyah! Can you be counted on? In your family, in your church? If there's work to be done and it needs to be done well, do people think of you or are you automatically disqualified (Ouch!!). There is work to be done and we must be ready. Its not the strength of the numbers but that everyone if functioning in their unction.Small groups are making big waves around the world. 'What you have is enough' as long as God is in it.

At the end of the day, the glory belongs to God and not me. God's military strategy na wa, outnumbered, 'outexperienced' and your weapon is torchlight in your left hand and trumpet in your right hand. lol! I too may have asked questions. God is looking for people of faith, if it was me I'd be like 'men we need some AK-47's right here. But the battle was won and God took the glory because the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God for the pulling down of stronghold. God doesn't need a big army, just a ready one. Will you be a part of His army?

Father, forgive me for opening so many doors, looking for 'plenty, plenty options'. I repent for the times I failed the love test and the readiness test. I submit myself to your will. I repent of an oloju kokoro spirit that desires what others have and despises the gift I have been anointed with. Dear Lord, I will stir it up and use it all to your glory in Jesus name. Amen.

Good and lasting change..

The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded.  He went out to meet Asa and said to him, "Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.

2nd Chronicles 15: 1-2

GOOD CHANGE

In my church, this month has been declared to be our month of 'GOOD CHANGE'. Amen. I declare a good change over issues that may have persisted for long in our lives in the mighty name of Jesus. The main focus of my prayer these days has been for God to work within me, strengthening my inner man, uprooting evil seeds, getting to the root of things, not just dealing with the things I do but rewriting the script from which the actions flow forth.It's an interesting way our God works, in an instant He can cause blind eyes to open, the lame to walk and provide supernatural supply. Even salvation is an instant process, we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths and we are saved. However, I've come to realise that the greatest work does in us isn't as instant, isn't as visible. It is God working in us to become like Him. This is a lifelong process and takes time. As I pondered on the verses above, it was like the Holy Spirit saying to me

'It is time to change tactics, it is time to seek the Lord, stop always trying to change behaviour instead of taking time to develop a relationship with the Creator who possesses the manual. He created you, He knows what you are capable of. He's Father, Friend, Coach. His Spirit is stretching you beyond what you thought possible through tests and trials to develop you. He chases you to the point of salvation but the desire for growth and communion with Him is up to you for you must make the choice. He cannot force His will on you for that is not love but control. If you seek Him, He will be found by you. Your change cannot come from self-help but God help. To bring about reform, we must go to the One who is the Author and Finisher and ask for His help.'

When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the LORD

Replacement therapy

His actions remind me of Gideon, who after receiving His mission statement from God, destroyed the altars for idolic worship and built an altar to the Lord. Hmm, these idols, I can write a book or two about them. For lasting change, the idols we have set up in our lives must be dethroned but even more than that we must consciously repair the altar of the Lord in the temple of our hearts. For God to live in us, He must reign supreme, 'I am the Lord your God, you must have no other gods before me'. He does not accept to be our back up plan, our alternative. What does this mean practically? That ensuring our relationship with God becomes our number one priority. Not our careers, not even the 'job' God has given us to do in Kingdom, not our spouse, or our desire for a spouse, all these things are important but must flow from the relationship we have with God. Our priorities determine how we spend our time, money and things precious. I have to ask myself these days, what that says about my relationship with God. Have I truly built an altar? An altar of worship, an altar of prayer, an altar of sacrifice?

Like Asa, the actions required for lasting change will need us to take courage because we will have to make decisions which are unpopular. Some of us may sacrifice relationships which are pulling us away from our first love. If you have a friend who is always negative about your spouse, your family or your job we normally distance ourselves from them to preserve what we hold dear. Let us in like manner hold fast to our God. Asa had to remove his mother from being queen because she refused to follow the Lord. As leaders, we must make tough decisions for the greater good.

....for large numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was WITH HIM. ........They took an oath to the LORD with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side. There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa's reign.

The Covenant

When we give God the honour due to Him, He begins to work in our lives in ways we never thought possible. The people that had been scattered all over came back home when they heard that the Lord was with him. Whose destiny is tied to yours, that needs you as a divine advertisement of the transforming power of the grace of God so that they can come back 'home' so to speak. We can't keep talking about a God who seems 'impotent' of bringing about lasting change in our own lives. What is the evidence that we can present to the world of what serving Christ has done for us personally? Father, help me on this one.

When we begin to get our acts right with God on the inside (private), He begins to do things that are noticed by all (public). The people came back and all decided to enter into a covenant with God. Yes, we sing He is a covenant keeping God but a covenant has to do with all the parties in the covenant. God will keep His end of the bargain, are you keeping yours. That's a whole post in its own right. The Word says that God then gave them 'rest on every side, there was no more war' for a season. There is nothing that we 'lose' for Christ that we do not gain back many times over. Those things we felt we couldn't do without, as we draw closer to God, He begins to give us a desire for something different, all of a sudden 'vegetables' begin to have more appeal than the 'king's meat'. I pray that as you decide to step up with God in this season that He will give you rest on all sides. That as we surrender to His leading and guidance, we will begin to understand what it truly means to have Jehovah the God of War (Sabaoath) fighting on our behalf.

Dear Father,

I thank you because you are a God who desires to have a relationship with His children. Not stale legalistic do's and don'ts but a dynamic one where you speak and we listen, we speak and you listen, growing in you. You desire intimacy. Help us to draw near to you, forgive us for idolatry, we avail ourselves to the Holy Spirit that He may do His work in our lives in Jesus name. Whatever will prevent us from seeing a good change, we take authority over in Jesus name. By your mercy and grace, please lovingly show us those little foxes that spoil the vine, areas of compromise, the sins that easily beset us for by your grace we can receive strength to pull down idolic altars and build instead an altar unto you where our wills are the sacrifice. Thank you Father, thank you Lord for my change shall be good and it shall be a lasting change in Jesus name.