Can we truly see the deliverance of God when we are in the midst of international, national, local, or personal pain that is filled with life threatening strife? Why is it so hard to rise up beyond the verbal ruckus and the voices of panic plagued confusion ...AND become a conduit of Hope's deliverance? What does it take to be a Praise-Making-Hope-Deliverer?
{Take the time to read Judges 6 --- this is a prelude to deliverance}
Waking up daily, to the smell of the damp air of the cave with its dank moist belly-like feeling, slithering over the occupants of the crevice of the rock, like a large anaconda ... just waiting to strike; this was absolutely the most depressing way to start every day. This was a dawning reminder of the oppressing enemy that brought on this life of loathing and barely surviving. To be truthful the real enemy is rarely faced because it is easier to blame than seek forgiveness.
Years of oppression? Seven! ... (If one doesn't see that it has eternity written all over it ... the oppression's numbness may have taken its toll). Seven years of wasteful oppression with every crop planting destroyed, every potential harvest uprooted, every bit of cattle slain, every lamb bleat stifled in blood and the mangled meat left rotting. Any increase left out in the open was plundered and destroyed ... Death would be via the ache of starvation or by diseases urged on by malnutrition and stress.
In the seventh year the sporadic intense cries that intensified with every passing year had finally molded the character of God's nation into "a cry".... And God heard "The Cry", and sent a prophet who responded to the cry ... "After such an amazing deliverance from Egypt and the nations of this land ... that God had given to you ... Why do you fear the breathless gods of the nations? Fear God!"
What a prophetic message, but who even heard with the blame game still in play.The blame game had to stop, the heart needed to see itself as the real enemy ... so that deliverance could begin. With a People unknowingly lost in the fear of false gods, the game would continue until it would be met with a life altering conflict.
So, God focused His Word on the "Hewer"... who would take on the task of "the one man" deliverance challenge, because he had been a source of resistance in the midst of the nation's compliance to false gods. God's Call Came and the "Hewer" placed his perceived poverty and foreboding insignificance before God: and God declared him a "Mighty Man of Valor!"
The events that followed in the life of this man need to be recognized to realize that God is calling prepared people with a strong purpose; His call is to those who are not just "news sharers", "whiners and complainers", self proclaimed "spokespeople", emotion driven "rabble rouser"; God is looking for those ... who will or have:
- taken responsibility for the condition of their world of influence.
- already been "doing", not just spouting that "someone needs to" or "someday"!"
- offered the threat point of their will to recognize the Voice of God.
- Humbled themselves before Him.
- Asked the hard reality questions of the Character of God.
- will Obey the Voice of God to the tearing down of the altars of worship and supporting groves of devotion to false gods.
"But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him." Judges 6:34
These are our prerequisites to aligning with God's Voice and Plan for the battle ahead.
Are you willing and/or have you been willing?
Calling all Hewers!
HLFA,
Jeff