Judges 8:18-35
There was no doubt that God had given Gideon and his men the victory; how else to account for three hundred men defeating the huge Midianite army? God inspired the selection of the fighting men, and the methods to be used in their warfare. Total obedience brought victory.
Unfortunately, there will always be 'men of Ephraim' in our lives who want a part in any success and are upset when they are left out. Gideon played the diplomat, aware that victory was a fact and God was glorified. There are times when we can choose to react in an unpleasant way against other brethren who could have done more, but God prefers that we love them, leaving it to God to deal with them.
We must take care how we handle success; if it goes to our heads we might afterwards act without first referring to God. He had commanded that worship take place at Shiloh; Gideon thought it okay to worship at Ophrah. After his death things went badly for his children and the nation.
Some Christian ministries start well, only to lose out when their leaders stop being totally dependent upon God and obedient to His guidance.
Judges 9:1-21
Loving our relatives is one thing; acceptance of their smooth talk that leads to sin is something else. We should always be careful of who we believe, no matter the closeness of our relationship. Only God is trustworthy; He will give us needed guidance when we ask for it.
Luke 23:44-56
Joseph openly acknowledged his relationship with Jesus by going to Pilate to ask for His body. He had also stood up bravely for Jesus against the hatred of the priests (v.51), setting a wonderful example for all believers.
What if I told you that such deeds of service done for Jesus by those who are not born again believers are not acceptable to Him? Read Matthew 7:21-23. Only deeds performed according to God's will will be rewarded by Jesus. There is no way doing good deeds alone will get us into heaven; we have to go via Jesus Himself (John 3:16; John 14:6).
Luke 24:1-12
The women did not hesitate to do something good for their Lord, in spite of the difficulties they knew lay ahead. Their preparations made in faith, they went to see what could be done about the major obstacle: the huge and heavy stone covering the mouth of the grave. But God had already taken care of the problem; He had moved it out of the way!
When God lays it on our hearts to do some service for Him, we might be aware that certain obstacles are in our way, but that should not hold us back. We must prepare ourselves for service, go ahead, and see how God takes care of the obstacles. It is a great way to learn how God works in our lives!
Psalm 99:1-9
The psalmist views God as so high and holy that He is unapproachable. Thankfully, God in the form of Jesus is approachable even while He is holy! He came down to our level to make it possible, even allowing unholy men to scourge and crucify Him, a picture of God that the psalmist did not have. I am grateful that I have ready access to a warm and loving God Who willingly sacrificed Himself for my spiritual and physical well-being (Isaiah 53:5).
Proverbs 14:9-10
It amazes me that some supposedly Christian ministers do not believe men are sinners, in spite of the Bible containing verses such as Romans 3:23 - 'For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God'. Certainly they have not been led by the Holy Spirit to come to such a conclusion, for whatever the Holy Spirit teaches is in line with the Biblical record (John 14:26). It is clear, then, that such 'Christian ministers' are not born again believers, for then they would have the Holy Spirit in them, teaching them the truth. Beware of such false 'teachers' (Matthew 7:15); they will be exposed at the Judgment, too late for those they will have led astray.
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