February 8

From: Continual Burnt Offering: Daily Meditations By: Henry Allan Ironside

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“But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him” —Judges 6:34³⁴But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him. (Judges 6:34).

IT is literally, “the Spirit of the Lord clothed Himself with Gideon.” His history exemplifies the importance of obedience to the Word of God. The man of faith dares to move at God’s command even though, for the moment, the difficulties seem to be insurmountable, and the possibility of victory very remote. Gideon learned to know God in secret; therefore he ventured everything upon His Word in public.

The call of this young man came not when he was daydreaming, but when he was busy at his accustomed tasks on the farm of his father. He was threshing wheat to hide it from the Midianites when the angel of the Lord appeared to him and gave him his commission to be the leader and deliverer of Israel. In “the irresistible might of weakness” Gideon accepted the trust, and began his work by destroying the image of Baal in his own community, for true service for God must begin at home.

“‘Tis easy when the morning

Appears at last to view

To praise thy strong Redeemer

Who burst the bondage through,

But ‘tis the praise at midnight

That gives the foe alarm,

That glorifies thy Saviour,

And bares His strong right arm.

A conqueror thou wouldst be,

Yea, more than conqueror thou,

If thou wilt shout in triumph

And claim the victory now;