What Are You Standing For? … by Sarah Camillo

Today’s Passage – Judges 7 – 8 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – 1 Peter 1 – 5; Proverbs 22; Psalms 106 – 110

Listen to this morning’s Scripture song –  Psalm 47:1

Read the “0322 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

“And they stood every man in his place round about the camp:” (Judges 7:21a)

In the world we live in today, we need some people who will stand. Someone once said, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” 

Most of us are familiar with the story of Gideon in Judges 7. In this battle God used the trumpet, the pitcher, and the lamp to bring about victory. We read that the use of trumpets in Numbers 10:1-10, was the voice of God. It was used as a signal of gathering people together, for marching, for a time to commune with God, and for battle. The pitcher, was an earthen vessel used for food and water in Biblical times. In Judges 7, these vessels were empty when they were broken or they would not have made such a loud crashing sound. The lamps, were made from the broken pitcher to hold the light and possibly to keep the wind from blowing them out.  These three items have meanings that should remind us, encourage us, and prepare us to stand. 

1. The trumpet is sounding!  We are in the Lord’s army! We will find the strength to stand by being in the Word and being together with other believers. An army is a group of comrades who march together, support each other, lift up the fallen, give encouragement when the going gets tough, and stand strong together in their place against the enemy. Hebrews 10:25 “ Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
2. We are the pitchers. We are the earthen vessels, empty, broken, and worthless. God uses the broken ones! God can use us in great ways if we allow Him to! 2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
3. We are to be the lamp! In this dark world where evil is called good and good is called evil, we are to shine the light of Jesus!  Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Sound the trumpet call to stand on the Word of God and let God use your broken vessel to shine His light.  Be in your place in the battle and stand strong!  Stand for truth!

O CHURCH ARISE

O Church Arise and put your amour on
Hear the call of Christ our Captain
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given
With shield of faith and belt of truth
We’ll stand against the devil’s lies
An army bold whose battle-cry is Love
Reaching out to those in darkness

~Keith & Kristyn Getty, Chris Tomlin, Stuart Townend