Bugles and Buckets
Jun 18, 2018 9:06:02 GMT -6
Post by Gene Whitehurst on Jun 18, 2018 9:06:02 GMT -6
Lord, I am honored to be among the 300 remaining soldiers to fight with Gideon. I must say I felt pretty comfortable when there were over 22,000 of us to fight the enemy. Your reducing the army to 300 really does mean that we will have to be dependent on you when we engage the enemy.
But Lord, I have some questions about Gideon’s last command to us. He told us that when we engage the enemy, that he wants us to have a bugle in one hand and a bucket with a torch in it in the other hand. Then he said to watch him and do as he does.
In all due respect to Gideon and to you dear Lord, I am a trained soldier. I have attended advanced infantry training in the best available schools in Israel. And when you selected us 300 to engage the enemy, we surely thought we would be using military strategy, swords, and shields (our training and skills). Not to be disrespectful, but frankly, I don’t get it. I feel like an idiot. It was one thing to remove a large fighting force, but now, you have removed the only other advantage that we have, our strategy; well, eh, uh, we do have Your presence with us.
So, what is your point?
Well, Lord, I think that I should use our best techniques and training to serve you. Bugles and buckets seem a little inadequate I must say. I’m confident in my military training and strategies. But, I don’t feel so excited about bugles and buckets.
What accomplishes my purposes? Do human ingenuity and cleverness and technique accomplish my purposes? I certainly use such things from time to time, but you must understand that obedience to my commands and my leading is what I expect. I have given men creativeness and expect them to use it, but it does not replace obedience.
But Lord, our obedience surely includes the training that you provided for us. Our successes of the past have been due to what we have done in the past. And you were leading us in the past. Why quit a strategy that worked so well?
There is always a first strategy: obedience. If obedience to Me includes using former successful strategies, then good. If I ask you to use bugles and buckets to accomplish my purposes, just obey my command and do it.
My friend…allow Him to take away your strength and your wisdom and your cleverness. Whether it be seminary, evangelism Summits, effective mission strategies, facilitator techniques, strong personalities, great exposition, and etc.) However strong and talented you are, allow Him to NOT use these in your next events. Instead, use His own preposterous ideas – if He wishes!
Do what I am leading you to do, and not what you did yesterday or have always done! This keeps you dependent on me and not on how things worked out before. Trust Me!
Trust Me and my plans. I will guide you…
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” (Psa 32:8)
But Lord, I have some questions about Gideon’s last command to us. He told us that when we engage the enemy, that he wants us to have a bugle in one hand and a bucket with a torch in it in the other hand. Then he said to watch him and do as he does.
In all due respect to Gideon and to you dear Lord, I am a trained soldier. I have attended advanced infantry training in the best available schools in Israel. And when you selected us 300 to engage the enemy, we surely thought we would be using military strategy, swords, and shields (our training and skills). Not to be disrespectful, but frankly, I don’t get it. I feel like an idiot. It was one thing to remove a large fighting force, but now, you have removed the only other advantage that we have, our strategy; well, eh, uh, we do have Your presence with us.
So, what is your point?
Well, Lord, I think that I should use our best techniques and training to serve you. Bugles and buckets seem a little inadequate I must say. I’m confident in my military training and strategies. But, I don’t feel so excited about bugles and buckets.
What accomplishes my purposes? Do human ingenuity and cleverness and technique accomplish my purposes? I certainly use such things from time to time, but you must understand that obedience to my commands and my leading is what I expect. I have given men creativeness and expect them to use it, but it does not replace obedience.
But Lord, our obedience surely includes the training that you provided for us. Our successes of the past have been due to what we have done in the past. And you were leading us in the past. Why quit a strategy that worked so well?
There is always a first strategy: obedience. If obedience to Me includes using former successful strategies, then good. If I ask you to use bugles and buckets to accomplish my purposes, just obey my command and do it.
My friend…allow Him to take away your strength and your wisdom and your cleverness. Whether it be seminary, evangelism Summits, effective mission strategies, facilitator techniques, strong personalities, great exposition, and etc.) However strong and talented you are, allow Him to NOT use these in your next events. Instead, use His own preposterous ideas – if He wishes!
Do what I am leading you to do, and not what you did yesterday or have always done! This keeps you dependent on me and not on how things worked out before. Trust Me!
Trust Me and my plans. I will guide you…
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” (Psa 32:8)