Verse of the day: Judges 6:23-24, Then the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” 24 So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
The realization that he had been face to face with God caused Gideon to fear for his life. How many of us have that kind of reverence for God’s presence in our lives? I am afraid that I would have to admit that not many of us have this kind of respect for the Lord. The evidence that this is true is the mere fact that all of us sin against Him in our everyday lives, even knowing who He is. How terrifying it would be to be face to face with God. Sadly, there are many today, Christians included, who think that they can stand before God with boldness (in and of ourselves); this is simply our own sinful pride that makes us think this way. The Lord immediately calms Gideon’s fears by reassuring him that he will not die, because God, in His mercy and grace, has allowed Gideon to be at peace with Him. Too many of us do not truly understand the eternal danger we were in before we made peace with God, through Christ Jesus. Romans 5:1-4 tells us, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Now that we are at peace with God, in Christ, we are no longer in danger of being eternally condemned. However, this is no excuse for using Jesus as “Fire Insurance” and taking the attitude that, “Now that I’m saved, I don’t have to worry about anything. I can just sin when I want, because I have eternal security.” Wrong! The other mindset is, “Well, I’m all set, I’m heaven bound and don’t have to do anything else.” Wrong! Philippians 2:12-13 clearly tells us, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” We are saved, not just to have eternal life, but also to faithfully serve God and live a life that represents Jesus in a way that glorifies Him. One of the things that makes me cringe, when I hear it, is when I hear a Christian say to someone who does not know Jesus personally, “If you accept Jesus as your Savior, your life will become easy, and your problems will go away.” This is one of the most misleading statements I hear, repeatedly. The truth of the matter is that when we are adopted into God’s family, through Christ, we are enlisted into God’s Army. There is a clear reason God provides us with Spiritual Armor (which is a picture of Jesus Christ) in Ephesians 6. Gideon was at peace with God, but it was for the purpose of going to war against the Midianites. The moment we become Christians, we must prepare ourselves for war. The enemies, Satan and his demons, will be on the attack. However, like Gideon, God will now be with us and will be our strength. Our challenges in life, and troubles, may increase, but if we completely trust the Lord, our peace and joy will also increase while we are in the heat of battle. This is the reason the Apostle Paul wrote the following words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:1-4: “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” The Apostle Peter warned us about our enemy in 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” When we, as Christians, set out on our mission to evangelize our family, friends, co-workers, and the community in general, we step out onto the battlefield. However, knowing that we are at peace with God, and trusting that He is with us and will fight for us, should give us the courage that Gideon demonstrated in going against an army that outmanned him and his army by great numbers. The devils outnumber us, but our God is far greater than any demonic army is. So I say to each of us, put on Christ and do not be afraid to step into the heat of the battle, for the fight is not ours, but Christ’s, and in Him we will have victory (John 16:33).
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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