Suffering Oppression

God Instructs the People of God

Listening for God in Changing Times:

Let God Rule

Judges 6:1-10

The Message

Gideon

 ^1-6 Yet again the People of Israel went back to doing evil in God's sight. God put them under the domination of Midian for seven years. Midian overpowered Israel. Because of Midian, the People of Israel made for themselves hideouts in the mountains—caves and forts. When Israel planted its crops, Midian and Amalek, the easterners, would invade them, camp in their fields, and destroy their crops all the way down to Gaza. They left nothing for them to live on, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. Bringing their cattle and tents, they came in and took over, like an invasion of locusts. And their camels—past counting! They marched in and devastated the country. The People of Israel, reduced to grinding poverty by Midian, cried out to God for help. ^7-10 One time when the People of Israel had cried out to God because of Midian, God sent them a prophet with this message: "God, the God of Israel, says,
    I delivered you from Egypt,
      I freed you from a life of slavery;
   I rescued you from Egypt's brutality
      and then from every oppressor;
   I pushed them out of your way
      and gave you their land.
    "And I said to you, 'I am God, your God. Don't for a minute be afraid of the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living.' But you didn't listen to me."

For Reflection
Yet again indeed!  Gods people just don't listen.  So what's new? In spite of themselves God's people are spared, but not without suffering.  The people of God are weak.  God is strong. His people are strengthened only through Him.

Pray
that you recognize the strength you have in God.  Pray that you remember that you are a child of God and his strength flows through you.