Day 128, 6th January: Judges, John and Proverbs

Encouragement
Jill Duncan, Avenue Baptist Church

Today’s readings
Judges 7:8b-8:35
John 5:31-47
Proverbs 11:19-28

I think it’s fairly obvious to everyone what the key verse is today…

“Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion” (Proverbs 11:22)

Clearly I’m joking (although discretion is important whether you are a beautiful woman or not =>) but it is a great image and has got me thinking about how many things the Bible tells us not to do. The New Testament verses today do not feel particularly encouraging either, with Jesus listing some of the ways that the religious leaders of the day failed to recognise who He was, even though they had His teaching and miracles (v36) and the scriptures (v40).

This is why it is so encouraging to read about the life of Gideon and to remember that God wants us to succeed in the plans He has for us and that He can use us regardless of our current circumstances.

As we saw yesterday God went to extreme measures to get Gideon’s attention and to encourage him, first sending an angel and then proving Himself through the two fleece miracles. In today’s reading, even after Gideon has already had so much confirmation that God was going to rescue Israel, he was allowed to overhear the Midianites when they realised they would be defeated (v14), which gave him the encouragement he needed to attack. Even after all this the Israelites didn’t need to fight, all they did was blow trumpets and smash jars and the Midianites started fighting each other (v19-22).

God knows us well enough to know when we need encouragement or confirmation, this may not be as often as we’d like but it does happen. We all go through times where we lack direction and get concerned that we’re heading the wrong way, don’t ever forget that God is for you. He wants you to work for the good of His kingdom in whatever context you’re in and He will make it clear how He wants you do this.

We may not get visitations from angels or see such amazing miracles (although maybe we will!) but we shouldn’t forget that we have a relationship with the resurrected Christ and have the Holy Spirit within us, which is not something that Gideon could claim. Gideon didn’t always get things right (for example the ephod incident didn’t quite go to plan! (8 v22-27)) but God used him anyway and he is remembered as someone with great faith (Hebrews 11:32).

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Today’s picture was taken by…
Ben Hamilton and the PMC Mountainbikers. Thanks Ben!

If you’d like to take your own picture to potentially be featured on the blog, then get your Soul Survivor Bible in One Year, and take a picture of yourself – and your Bible – at some interesting or colourful location. Then email it to us at editor@soulsurvivor.com.

The pictures will need to be a pretty good resolution (we use 640px by 360 px so at least as big as that), landscape photos work best and if you include the day of the reading in the picture then make sure you send it to us a good few days before that reading, so we have time to include it in that day’s post! We’ll credit all photographers!