Participants:
Series Code: CW
Program Code: CW000019S
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00:00 (upbeat music)
00:05 - Oh, yes sir, stay right there, 00:08 stay right there I'll be right back. 00:13 Hey, welcome everybody to A Talking Donkey International 00:16 and our new television series, Country Wisdom. 00:19 - Let's set the tone for this new series of ours, 00:22 it's found in Proverbs four, 00:24 let your eyes look directly forward 00:27 and your gaze be straight before you, 00:30 ponder the path of your feet 00:33 and then all your ways will be sure. 00:36 - Join us now for a Country Wisdom. 00:42 In judges, chapter six, these words in verse one, 00:46 and the children of Israel did evil 00:48 in the sight of the Lord. 00:51 God basically backed away and other nations came 00:54 and pretty soon the results were famine, desolate, dry arid, 01:01 nothing growing because it said they would come down 01:03 and they would take everything. 01:04 They would destroy every crop, 01:05 they'd take everything that these people had worked for. 01:08 Maybe all their lives. 01:10 In verse five it says, 01:11 they came up with their cattle, their tents. 01:13 They came as grasshoppers for multitude 01:16 for both they and their camels were without number. 01:21 Imagine that without number, coming down all the hills 01:24 everything filling the valleys. 01:26 What were these people to do? 01:27 They had certainly sinned against God. 01:29 It was time to call upon God. 01:31 (dramatic music) 01:41 - Hey Janice. 01:42 - Hey, look I found little baby grapes. 01:44 - Oh cool, it's gonna be mama's and Papa's someday. 01:46 - Yeah, it'll take a while, 01:48 but eventually there'll be worth eating 01:51 if they give you water. 01:52 You know, I grew up in great country, Lodi, California. 01:57 In fact, its claim to fame 01:59 and might still be as claim to fame. 02:01 It's the Tokay grape capital of the world 02:05 and the big social event. 02:08 When I was growing up every September, the great festival, 02:13 and they would make whole murals 02:15 out of different varieties of grapes. 02:17 They would wipe them in oil, rolled them in oil 02:20 and then make these murals out of all the different colors 02:24 and grapes were such a big thing, 02:27 when it was time for that harvest. 02:29 I mean, everybody was getting in a good mood 02:32 because it was like holiday time and Lodi. 02:36 But I can tell from looking at this vineyard 02:41 that it doesn't look like 02:43 it's been particularly well cared for. 02:46 - I don't think it's gotten any water at all. 02:48 - No, it looks like this one is just kind of been left 02:51 to whatever water it can get from mother nature. 02:55 But it's not being pruned, 02:56 it's not being taken care of the way they should. 03:01 - No, that's basically what happened with Israel. 03:04 You know, they, every time they'd get out and try 03:07 and do something in the field, the enemy would show up. 03:10 They might get killed stampede and stomped on whatever. 03:13 But even if they grew something 03:15 the enemy would take it all. 03:17 So they'd get nothing anyway. 03:19 Matter of fact one day, 03:20 story that I like is a guy named Gideon 03:23 but Gideon is a real chicken heart. 03:26 (Janice laughing) 03:27 it's on him, this goes, he's hiding someplace. 03:29 I get the feeling around a vineyard where the wine press is 03:33 so he can kind of hide down in the wine press. 03:35 But he's got a little bit of wheat. 03:36 He found a little bit of wheat. 03:37 So he's threshing the wheat in the wine press 03:40 out of the sight of everybody. 03:42 - He was hiding. 03:43 - Absolutely hiding yeah. 03:44 He was scared to death as everybody else was too. 03:49 But the interesting thing is it says, 03:51 the children of Israel cried unto God. 03:55 God says, okay, now I can work with that. 03:58 Now you calling to me. 03:59 I can work with that. 04:00 And I imagine you've experienced that too. 04:02 - Oh yes. 04:03 Why is it that it's not until we're really really in trouble 04:08 that we tend to go, God, I need you. 04:10 I'm always the sort I'm thinking of, 04:12 okay, this has happened so I can do this. 04:16 I can pull it out. 04:17 If I work harder, if I do this and then it's finally 04:20 after I've exhausted everything, I can do. 04:22 That I go, oh, maybe I should talk to God about this. 04:26 - Yeah. 04:26 - And it's every time I say, 04:29 and why wasn't that, what you did first? 04:32 I don't know, stupid human. 04:33 - We all do that kind of thing. 04:34 You know, we do everything else, and then we say, 04:35 oh, now let's pray, you know, last situation. 04:39 But here's Gideon now he's hiding. 04:42 And the angel of the Lord shows up, says, 04:45 Gideon you mighty man of valor. 04:49 This is the- - 04:50 - The same Gideon that was hiding from the Midianites. 04:53 - It still is. 04:55 - And he's a mighty man of valor. 04:56 - Yeah, yeah, think about that. 04:58 You know how many times have you thought 05:01 that God can't do anything through you? 05:03 - Oh, well, daily, you know me, I'm pathologically insecure. 05:09 - Yeah, but here's- - 05:10 - So I really relate to that. 05:12 First of all, the hiding from problems. 05:14 - Yeah, yeah. 05:14 - That's a specialty of mine, 05:17 and not thinking to call on God 05:20 until I'm at the end of my rope, 05:23 rather than calling on God at the beginning of my rope. 05:26 - Yeah. 05:27 - But having God see you in a way that 05:31 you don't picture yourself. 05:32 - Through his eyes, yeah, yeah. 05:36 - That's incredible that he would see Gideon, 05:39 hiding in a wine press and say, 05:42 you mighty man of valor, 05:45 Gideon must've stood there and said, you know- - 05:49 - Yeah. 05:50 - Is there someone else in here with me? 05:51 - Now the real interesting thing is getting and says, 05:53 you're coming to me and you're expecting me to something. 05:57 Where have you been? 05:58 You know, have you looked at the grapes, 06:01 have you looked at the land, do you know what's going on? 06:03 And you expect me to do something, should I trust you? 06:07 And basically, you know 06:10 the angel continues on slowly and gently. 06:12 You know, where they, he tells Gideon 06:15 you're going to save Israel. 06:17 Gideon says, what have you looked at? 06:20 - Nobody would have bet 06:21 on Gideon saving Israel. - No, 06:22 do you know who my family? 06:24 Well, our family is the lowest 06:25 on the the wrong of the nations. 06:27 And what have you done for us? 06:30 But the angel continues to assure him, you need to do this. 06:34 Now he continues on a little bit. 06:36 And basically he tells him, 06:38 look you need to go and destroy your father's worship area. 06:42 His father, who was an Israelite worship Baal. 06:45 So he had a statue. 06:46 He had everything else and getting- - 06:47 - The problem right there. 06:49 - Yeah, would like 06:50 - Why would anyone in Israel, 06:52 have an altar that was not to God. 06:54 - Exactly, but not only that. 06:55 How would you like to go against your father? 06:57 - No. 06:58 - How many children? 06:59 - You have to obey my father, no. 07:00 - Yeah, yeah, you know, but the angel says to do it. 07:03 So basically finally do it. 07:05 Well, the next day there is an absolute 07:08 you know, fury in the village they're ready to kill, 07:12 you know, And finally, finally- - 07:14 - They don't know who destroyed it. 07:15 They really did not know who well, 07:16 they kind of did, they kind of did, 07:18 but here's the situation they're ready to kill him. 07:21 And one of them comes, 07:23 you're gonna kill somebody here for destroying a false God. 07:28 Well, that kind of calmed everything down. 07:32 Then the angel continues on and he says, 07:34 look you're going to now deliver the whole nation. 07:38 I want you to get an army together. 07:40 You know, a small army, and I want you to meet with me. 07:44 Look, he said, yeah, this is Gideon. 07:46 Look, look, he said 07:48 I really wanna know it's you, really wanna know it's you, 07:51 and the cheer God and the cheer who you say you are. 07:54 And I'm gonna put out a fleece if it's okay, 07:56 Lord, I don't, I don't mean to get bold here 07:59 but I'm gonna put out a fleece and tomorrow morning 08:02 if that fleeces absolutely soaking wet 08:04 then I'll believe you. 08:07 He gets up the next morning, I imagine pretty excited, 08:09 he runs out, he grabbed the fleece. 08:10 It's so heavy with water he rings out 08:12 and the Bible quotes 08:13 how many cups of water came out of that. 08:16 - I can relate because there are times I want to know. 08:20 Okay, did that thought really come from God? 08:22 Or is that just some random thought of mine. 08:25 - The pizza from last night. 08:27 - Or the pizza from last night? 08:28 So I like that God works with us and we'll tolerate. 08:35 He doesn't go, you want a sign for me? 08:36 No, off with you. 08:38 - Yeah, God what you're just saying, God is patient. 08:40 - Yes. 08:41 - Patient, gentle, lead to step-by-step. 08:44 Now get in he's a little more bold. 08:46 Lord pre adventure I just ask you one more thing Lord, 08:50 pre adventure in the bible 08:51 I don't know. - Like he asks he has to know. 08:52 - Yeah, yeah, but he said, Lord, look, you know, 08:55 nature could have done this, 08:57 nature could have gotten that thing wet. 08:58 So Lord, how about I put out the fleece tonight 09:01 and everything else will be wet 09:02 and my fleece will be bone dry. 09:05 And the Lord says, I agree to it, I agree to it. 09:08 He gets up the next morning, flies out picks up that fleece. 09:11 And there is nothing. 09:12 And the ground is soaking wet everywhere else. 09:15 So God answered his prayer. 09:17 No, it is so amazing what God will do 09:20 for each one of us to lead us slowly, slowly, slowly. 09:23 And what you said earlier, Janice, 09:27 about the whole situation of our relationship to God, 09:32 a man of valor. 09:33 He wasn't a man of valor, but God is leading. 09:35 - A man of valor, who knew he was a man of valor. 09:39 Wouldn't be saying, all right, Lord, I want a sign. 09:42 And then when he gets the sign going, 09:44 just to make sure see that's me, I would be doing that. 09:48 But that's because I'm not particularly brave. 09:50 - But God is leading him step-by-step to God's vision 09:54 of what he knew he could do in his life. 09:56 - And he needed that confidence. 09:58 God knew that Gideon needs this assurance more assurance 10:02 than maybe some people of faith would need 10:05 but he needed to know 10:07 without any question that God was with him. 10:10 - Yeah, yeah, I can't help, 10:12 but think of a story so many times 10:14 you know, it's the devil that says, 10:16 God does this and God does that. 10:18 And God is mean, and God has vengeful. 10:20 - Or making us doubt. 10:21 - Yeah, but that's not God, you know, 10:23 I remember years ago we had a car. 10:26 Well, it was a van actually 10:27 kind of one of those little camper vans 10:28 and had the pop up top with a fiberglass top, right. 10:31 We parked it over in a neighbor's area 10:35 because there's a big storm coming 10:36 and we wanted to get it off the street. 10:39 Well, the next morning we go and this huge limb 10:41 of this tree had fallen right down through the thing 10:43 and broken it. 10:45 I call up the insurance company and said, 10:46 storm last night it busted the top. 10:49 And they said, well, I'm sorry, that's an act of God. 10:52 (Janice laughing) 10:53 And I said, how about if I take you to court 10:55 and prove it was an act of a devil, 10:58 there was silence on the other end. 11:01 We blamed God for so many things. 11:02 - We do. 11:03 - And you continually find Old and New Testament. 11:05 God has such a heart for each one of us. 11:08 You know, he leads us, 11:09 he calls us, he nurtures us with his vision 11:12 of what we will be in the future. 11:15 I know he's done that with you. 11:17 - Oh, yes, there are many times I have argued with God. 11:20 It might be something as simple as, 11:23 I feel moved to go and call someone or to visit someone 11:29 or to speak up and say something. 11:31 And I go, I don't want to sound crazy. 11:34 I don't want someone to think I'm one of those Jesus freaks. 11:38 - Yeah. 11:40 - I don't want to sound like I'm a Bible thumping, 11:44 you know, the bad image that some Christians have. 11:46 And more often than I would like to admit, I hesitate. 11:53 And that moment is lost, but God keeps with me. 11:59 And other times I've had the courage. 12:01 Partly I think because I failed 12:03 and I know what it felt like to fail. 12:05 And I feel awful for that, 12:07 but God isn't making me feel awful. 12:09 It's just gives me the determination. 12:11 God, if I ever have that opportunity again 12:14 I won't blow it this time. 12:15 - Yeah. 12:16 - He has patient. 12:18 - And by God's power living in you, you won't, you know, 12:21 that's the case, Jesus living in you, 12:23 Jesus can do all things in you 12:25 when he's living in you because it's him doing it all. 12:28 That's what's so cool. 12:29 - And his view of us is far different 12:32 from our view of ourself. 12:33 - No, you know, I tell you, 12:35 God's got a lot more for Gideon here. 12:37 And he says, tell him, 12:38 go get an army now, go get an army. 12:41 (soft upbeat music) 12:59 - I don't like surprises. 13:01 I like to know what's going to happen. 13:03 And when it's going to happen, I make lists. 13:06 And I always have a plan A, B, and sometimes C. 13:11 Needless to say in today's uncertain world 13:14 I struggle with an embarrassing amount of anxiety. 13:18 If that sounds familiar, 13:19 you need to send for this free pamphlet, 13:22 Certainty in an Uncertain World, 13:25 to order your free copy go to, 13:27 TalkingDonkeyInternational.org 13:30 and request offer number 121, 13:33 and find hope for today and tomorrow. 13:39 - I've had the opportunity to travel 13:41 and film in many countries of the world. 13:45 You see, I hate doing the same old thing, 13:47 filming in a studio. 13:49 No that's boring, maybe cheap, 13:51 but who wants to watch, very few people. 13:55 (upbeat music) 13:56 I found that people love programs 13:58 that take the viewer outside into the field. 14:01 They like programs that take the viewer on a journey. 14:03 That's what Talking Donkey International does. 14:06 Our team decided it was time 14:08 to create innovative produce programs 14:10 that go beyond the cookie cutter approach 14:12 to television production. 14:14 So the Lord is returning very soon. 14:16 We need to act like it didn't work like it. 14:19 That's why I'm committed, 14:20 that's why Talking Donkey International is committed 14:22 to doing all we can for as many as we can 14:25 for as long as we can in new creative and exciting ways 14:29 please partner with us today. 14:31 Your prayers and financial support are needed 14:33 to take this ministry around the world. 14:40 So Gideon gathers all the men, all the warriors. 14:43 He brings them basically before God. 14:45 And God said, Gideon, it's too many men. 14:49 And I can imagine Gideon say, "Too many men Lord?" 14:52 - That's exactly what I would be thinking. 14:54 I'd be going, no, I need two or three times that. 14:56 - Yeah, don't you understand Lord, 14:58 did you look out over the hills over there 15:00 and see how many there are the enemy. 15:03 Anyway, God says, too many. 15:05 He said, get rid of them. 15:07 Tell them if you're scared, if you're afraid, go home. 15:10 And the- - 15:11 - Mine would be the first-hand in the air. 15:12 - Yeah, 22,000 men went. 15:15 Now the next thing he says, 15:17 and I'm going to let you hold my Bible. 15:18 I'm gonna demo this a little bit, 15:20 because the Bible some people may not understand exactly 15:23 what happened here but God says, 15:24 okay, take those 10,000 men down to the water. 15:28 They get down to the water and God says, 15:30 I want you to test these men. 15:33 So Gideon is still thinking what is going on? 15:36 God says, let the men drink. 15:38 So you've got your guys that get down 15:40 and they're in there in the water and all falls. 15:43 Then you've got the other group 15:44 that they're lapping up their water. 15:47 Actually, the Lord refers to it like a dog. 15:51 So they're lapping up 15:52 the water like- - - But the first group 15:53 had just put their faces right in the water. 15:54 - Right there, just sucking the water up. 15:56 And here's the difference. 15:57 The group that are down in there, they can't see any enemy. 16:01 They're not watching anything. 16:03 But the second group we're lapping water. 16:05 These are real soldiers, 16:06 these are real men who are ready 16:08 for the enemy at any moment. 16:09 - They stayed alert and we're looking around. 16:11 - Exactly, and God, now he separates this group. 16:15 There's what, we had 10,000. 16:18 He gets rid of 9,700 more. 16:22 So we've got- - 16:24 - 300. - 300 left. 16:26 That's Gideon's army. 16:28 That's the entire 300 men. 16:29 How would that make you feel? 16:31 - I would have been in the first group of 22,000. 16:34 That said, they're not enough of us. 16:37 I am out of here, you know, they got permission, 16:40 when he said, if anyone's you know, 16:42 getting a little nervous about this, that would be me. 16:46 I am always anxious. 16:49 - Yeah. 16:50 - That would have just the level of anxiety. 16:52 My cortisol levels would have been here. 16:55 - This a real moment of truth for Gideon. 16:57 Am I going to stay where I am? 16:59 Or am I going to go with God and go with God's plan? 17:03 You know, that's what, we've all got to decide, right? 17:05 Whether we stay here, go with God. 17:13 You know, after the creek, which was, you know 17:15 probably a lot more gorgeous than this. 17:18 They found themselves here, the Midianites, 17:21 the Amalekites, all the nations. 17:23 Let me read something to you here. 17:25 It's judges chapter seven and verse 12. 17:28 It kind of sets the, you know, 17:30 the idea of what was going on. 17:33 And the Midianites and the Amalekites 17:35 and all the children are of the East. 17:37 How many? 17:38 - [Janice] All. 17:39 - All, lay along in the valley 17:41 like grasshoppers for multitude 17:43 and their camels were without number 17:46 as the sand, by the seaside for multitude. 17:50 - There were so many 17:51 that they couldn't even estimate a real number. 17:53 - Yeah, this picture in my mind 17:54 this writer is trying to, you know, 17:57 God gives him the either the vision 17:59 or he was right there and he's looking at this 18:02 and it's like, how do you even number them? 18:04 You know, they're just covering the landscape 18:06 the landscape as far as the eye can see. 18:09 So it's pretty daunting. 18:12 And all these guys are out there 18:14 and God tells Gideon, you know, 18:15 now, okay, it's time now, you know? 18:17 And still Gideon, remember we talked about the man of valor. 18:21 (Janice and Jim laughing) 18:23 And so he starts instructing his fellows. 18:26 Okay, we're gonna go up on the mountains over here. 18:29 We're gonna need to take a pitcher. 18:30 We're gonna put a torch inside there. 18:33 So it's covered up, 18:34 and then we're gonna just take a trumpet. 18:36 - That's not normally what soldiers take 18:38 into battle with them. 18:40 - Yeah, and how many guys is this? 18:42 - 300. 18:43 - 300, that's it. 18:44 How many soldiers are out there? 18:46 - There were more than they could even count. 18:49 - Yeah, without number. 18:50 - I mean, you talk about a situation of God, 18:54 better be in control. 18:56 That's the only way you'd get me out there. 18:59 - Yeah, but how do you even know, 19:00 you know, I mean, how do you know that, 19:02 how do you know that God is in control? 19:04 That's a real question. 19:05 - But he gave him clues. 19:08 - Early on, yeah. 19:09 - Early on, he gave them those signs 19:11 to reassure him that he was with them. 19:13 So there are only 300 that didn't get sent home 19:17 at the creek and now they get a trumpet and a pitcher 19:23 at that point, I might be thinking, can I go home? 19:26 - Yeah, I think of myself if I was Gideon, you know, 19:31 and I get up over the top of that hill 19:33 and I'm looking over those vast armies. 19:35 I mean, all the men of the East, all the men of the East 19:42 and Midianites and Amalekite without number, 19:43 sands of the sea of their camels and everything else. 19:45 Well, they brought all the camels 19:47 because somebody wrote on those camels. 19:49 So there is the sands of the sea 19:52 and I've gotta be thinking, 19:54 whoa, what did I get myself into? 19:56 - Right, it's like, what are we doing here? 19:58 Can we go home now too? 20:00 - Yeah. 20:01 - Maybe I should have left 20:02 with the first group that went home. 20:03 - Maybe I made a mistake, you know 20:05 have you ever done that in your life? 20:06 - Have I ever made a mistake, let me count the ways. 20:10 (Janice laughing) 20:12 - Well, yeah, we, you know, we all do that, 20:16 we all, even as Christians, you know, 20:17 you believe in God, but there's always things that come up 20:20 and you kind of, well, did I make the right decision? 20:22 Did I find myself in a really tough spot, God- - 20:25 - I second guess myself all the time. 20:27 That's why I relate to Gideon, 20:29 hiding myself, asking God over and over again. 20:33 Now, are you sure? 20:34 You know, can you make it a little clearer 20:36 because I'm not the kind you can just whisper in my ear. 20:39 I have often told him, you know, if this is what you want 20:42 you have to hit me upside the head with a two by four. 20:45 - I remember when I first a Christian, 20:48 I would go outside in the middle of the night 20:50 and I'd look up at the stars and say, 20:52 God, if you're really there, 20:54 just move one star just a little bit. 20:56 That's not a big deal for you. 20:57 If you're really God, just one star, Lord, 21:00 and I'd sit and I'd look and I'd pray, 21:02 not a single star ever moved, you know. 21:06 And I imagine God just kind of laughed a little bit 21:07 because after a while, you know, I learned 21:10 and there were other things that God did in my life 21:12 that showed very plainly God was in charge. 21:15 - There've been periods in my life. 21:17 When you know that cloud of depression 21:20 is kind of hovering and getting deeper 21:23 and just ordinary tasks can seem overwhelming. 21:28 I remember one time sitting on the hearth 21:30 in front of the wood stove 21:32 I needed to go to the next town to do some shopping. 21:36 And that seemed, I didn't even know how to go about it. 21:40 It's like I didn't have the energy to get up. 21:42 And I kept wishing I had someone to go with me 21:45 but as depression will, 21:47 I couldn't think of anyone 21:49 who would actually want to go with me. 21:52 I mean, that's how crazy my brain can get. 21:55 Where just ordinary things seem unmanageable 21:59 but you know what God did for me then, 22:02 my phone rang and thankfully I answered it 22:06 and it was a friend just calling to chat. 22:08 Said, well, what are you doing today? 22:10 And I found the courage to go, 22:12 well, I was thinking of going, I have to go to the mall. 22:16 And it just, you know, I wasn't sure if I could do it today. 22:19 She goes, "Oh, well, I'll go with you." 22:21 And while I'm sitting there with the phone, 22:24 going, well, thank you God, 22:26 that clearly was an answer from you. 22:28 My phone rang again, 22:30 another friend and she said the same thing, you know, 22:33 what are you doing today? 22:35 And I tell her, and she goes, 22:36 "Oh, that sounds like fun, I'll go with you." 22:39 So I hadn't even specifically said, 22:42 "God would you send me a friend? 22:44 So I have the courage to go face the mall. 22:46 In spite of the fact that I feel so horrible." 22:49 And he just did it and it made me laugh. 22:52 - You know, the thing is, God knows your heart. 22:54 He knows everybody's heart, he knew Gideon's heart. 22:56 He says, Gideon if you're really scared, 22:58 I want you to go down the valley. 23:00 I want you to listen to what those men are talking about. 23:03 And if you're really scared to take your servant with you. 23:05 So he finally decides to go into any sneaks down the camp 23:08 and he listens in to what these guys are talking about. 23:11 And these guys are talking about Gideon, 23:13 the one says I just had a dream. 23:14 And this Gideon, basically the idea he wiped out the nation. 23:18 We're scared to death. 23:20 Well, Gideon that gave him some courage. 23:21 - Oh, yes. 23:22 - He goes back up the hill, you know, 23:24 and tells everybody it's time, get ready. 23:26 And he's got his 100 men with him 23:28 and he's got the other group of 100 23:30 and another group of 100 on the other hills. 23:32 And all of a sudden, he said, 23:33 when I blow the trumpet, he blew the trumpet. 23:36 Everybody blows their trumpets 23:38 and they start yelling and screaming 23:39 and they break their vessels 23:41 that they had concealing the lights. 23:44 And all of a sudden it looks like this vast armies 23:46 on all the mountains and they're yelling 23:48 and screaming and God caused all the armies down 23:51 below to begin fighting one another. 23:53 They got so scared. 23:54 They started killing one another 23:56 and began rooting the entire army. 23:59 Then God says, okay, now call the rest of Israel 24:01 and go chase these guys and get rid of them. 24:03 I'm the one who did the work. 24:04 So now you can, you know, go on. 24:06 - So they really didn't need their own spears. 24:09 God had it worked out that trumpet and a pitcher was enough 24:14 because the enemy was wiping itself out. 24:17 - But it's so interesting how God uses us. 24:19 God works with us, you know, 24:20 gets us to be a part of it, a part of his work. 24:23 - And look at the result of Gideon's decision. 24:27 When he was in the wine press, 24:28 when the angel came to him, 24:30 when he was hiding, not feeling courageous, 24:33 he could have said no, 24:36 because God doesn't force us to do things, 24:38 he encourages but he doesn't force. 24:41 Gideon could have said, no, you got the wrong guy. 24:45 Try the one in the wine press, you know, the next one over. 24:48 But he didn't. 24:50 He may have needed some signs, some encouragement, 24:53 but he stepped out and he did it. 24:57 And that's what inspired Israel to quit hiding, 25:00 it inspired Israel to fight the Midianites. 25:04 It inspired those 300 men to go up that hill with him 25:08 with a trumpet and a pitcher 25:12 no weapons against an innumerable army. 25:16 That one little courage, bit of courage that Gideon found. 25:21 And the result was monumental. 25:26 - I think about monumental results. 25:29 Would you like monumental results in your life? 25:32 There's a text found in Isaiah chapter 41, verse 10. 25:35 I'd like to share with you, it says, 25:37 fear thou not, for I am with thee, who, God, 25:42 be not dismayed, for I am thy God, 25:45 I will strengthen thee yay. 25:46 I will help the yay. 25:48 I will uphold thee with my right hand, 25:51 my right hand of righteous. 25:54 That's the God we serve. 25:55 That's the God that Gideon got to know. 25:58 He didn't know God too well early on, 26:00 but God let him step by step by step. 26:02 He drew him. 26:04 He was patient with him. 26:06 God will be patient with you too just call upon God, 26:10 call upon him right now, he'll answer you. 26:12 He'll take his right hand. 26:14 He'll lift you up, help you go through any battles 26:16 and trials that troubles of this world. 26:19 There are no problem with God. 26:21 There is never anything that catches God unawares. 26:23 I never find in the Bible any place, Janice where God says, 26:27 oh man, I never saw that one coming. 26:28 - Oh, nope. 26:29 - It just doesn't happen. 26:31 They're not a trial in your life 26:32 that God doesn't know about. 26:33 And that he can't handle. 26:35 Please choose God today call upon him. 26:38 - I don't like surprises. 26:40 I like to know what's going to happen. 26:42 And when it's going to happen, 26:45 I make lists and I always have a plan A, B, and sometimes C. 26:51 Needless to say in today's uncertain world 26:53 I struggle with an embarrassing amount of anxiety. 26:57 If that sounds familiar, 26:59 you need to send for this free pamphlet 27:02 Certainty in an Uncertain World, 27:05 to order your free copy go to, 27:07 TalkingDonkeyInternational.org. 27:09 And request offer number 121 27:13 and find hope for today and tomorrow. 27:19 - [Narrator] Introducing, Talking Donkey International, 27:21 God once used a donkey to spread his word 27:24 but he'd rather use all of us. 27:27 It's time to prepare quality programming, 27:30 created to attract and reach viewers of the world. 27:33 Not just those of our denomination. 27:35 Together, we can carry the final advent message 27:38 to the individuals of planet earth 27:40 and hasten the return of our Lord. 27:42 Please pray for and support the successful mission 27:46 of Talking Donkey International. 27:49 (upbeat music) 27:53 - Hey, thanks for joining us for Country Wisdom. 27:56 - See you next time. 27:58 (upbeat music) |
Revised 2021-05-10