May 3rd

Judges 8: 18-21

"Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” "Men like you,” they answered, “each one with the bearing of a prince.” Gideon replied, “Those were my brothers, the sons of my own mother. As surely as the Lord lives, if you had spared their lives, I would not kill you.” Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, “Kill them!” But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a boy and was afraid. Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Come, do it yourself. ‘As is the man, so is his strength.’” So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and took the ornaments off their camels’ necks."

 

Gideon had captured the kings responsible for much misery in Israel and for the killing of his Brothers. He wanted to teach Jéther , taking advantage of the situation to train his son. But Jéther was coward. He shamed his father.

 

• Who are the children of God? John 1:12-13
• God´s children must grow. Ephesians 1:3-5

 

• Our natural development can be compared to our spiritual development... A child tends to think on her own needs and looks to her parentes as her providers. And we do the same, turning to God and asking, and asking, and asking...

 

• And it´s ok... But we must grow. If a child does not grow there must be something wrong. Every father and mother expect their children to grow. So does the Lord! He gives us so many blessings that will help us to evolve.

• Another point where natural and spiritual lives are similar is about knowledge. Sometimes a child receives lots of information but has no chance to practice. And what we don´t experience we tend to forget. If we don´t practice, we don´t evolve. 

 

• There are lots of things concerning God we still need to experience!

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 5:3

• To inherit the Kingdom of God we need to empty ourselves. The smaller we become before the Lord,  bigger we will become.
• Children tend to be selfish. But the Lord teaches us that the blessings we receive are not only just for us... They´re to be shared!

"But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says:

“When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”

 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." Ephesians 4:7-16

• We must grow up!
• Look back to Jether: he spared the enemies´lives. But if the situation were different, if the kings had Jether tied and kneeling before them, they would not spare his life.
• Exalt the Lord because He cares for you and the enemy cannot touch you, although his desire is to have your life in his hands to destroy you.

So, grow up!

 

Let the Holy Spirit train you! 

Pray also for a church that grows so much that no wall will be able to hold it! 

By Ana