"First Things First" (Gideon Extra #1)

by Steven Norris

So, this past Sunday I preached on the call of Gideon (Judges 6-7). It is such a rich story and we had only a short amount of time to spend on it, so I thought I would share a few of my additional thoughts and insights here. Obviously, they are merely initial reflections and are not fully developed, but I pray that you may find something that will further your reflection on, and interaction with, the scripture.

God had called Gideon to deliver the Israelites from the oppression of the Midianites. According to the scripture, this oppression had come as a result Israel’s disobedience and worship of other gods. Therefore, Gideon’s first step was to tear down the altar to Baal and the Asherah that were right there in his father’s field. To fulfill God’s call in our lives begins with removing all the other distractions that compete for our allegiance.

I would venture to bet that there are not many of us who have stone altars in our backyards to pagan deities, but we do have idols. We have things that hold us back and keep us from giving ourselves fully to God. We have things that consume our time, energy, attention, thoughts, money, and resources. There are things that bring anxiety and fear. These may not be bad things, necessarily, but if they are keeping us from fulfilling God’s call for us, they may qualify as idols. Look at your own life. What idols need to get torn down so that you can fulfill God’s call for you with whole-hearted abandon?

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