It's All In How You Finish

God has been dealing with me about what it will look like when I have finished my course. When I have done all the things that I am supposed to do and it's time for me to lay it down. Well, At first my heart pounded because I felt like Hezekiah when Isaiah told him to get his house in order. However, that was not what the Lord was saying to me...He was telling me to live my life when the end in mind. 

Listen, let me say it this way, We don't know how many days, weeks, months, years we have. However, we need to live faithfully in the time that we have. So let's learn a lesson from Gideon. In the book of Judges starting at the 6 chapter, we start to read about an ordinary man that God used extraordinarily. Gideon is an old testament "believer" who was just living his life in the secret of his enemy. He came to be about in a time when Israel was being tormented by the Midianites.

Now I am sure that Gideon had aspirations of going up against the Midianites and delivering his nation from the rule. However, we find him hiding in the winepress. Now this is what I truly believe it takes courage to defy a stronger adversary and to make sure that your family is safe even when it could cost you your life. However, even though Gideon was hiding I don't look at it as a coward move but a wise move, here's why the Bible says that the Midianites were taking away all the food and devastating the land, but Gideon managed to keep his food (what little he could find) from them so his family could eat. This went on for seven years. Wouldn't you hid provision for your family so you would not be utterly destroyed. I think you would do the same. I am sure I would have too.

So the testimony continues that Gideon gets a divine visit and his destiny is spoken over him. Proving once again that Gideon had to have some substance or why would God choose him. God saw Gideon for who he was created to be not who he was standing in the winepress. See God sees us as the finished product, not the mixed up, messed up pup we are right now. We are operating in a manner that many of us don't know who we are, let alone, whose we are. Of course, we are hiding in the pews of the church, in bars, clubs, and acting out with all manners of evils. We have not had that divine visitation. But wait for it because it's on its way, it's time for you to walk in the calling for your life and fulfill your destiny.

Now I am not going to tell the story here but what I do what to say is that Gideon was called to war against the Midianites and the Lord instructed him that he would go with him. Read the story very powerful and enlightening. So Gideon is famous for putting a fleece before the Lord to know that this was really what God want him to do. Now many say that this was a coward move. It was because of his doubt. Peradventure, Gideon was actually showing us a glimpse of his character. He was more of a warrior than we know. Remember I mentioned that the Midianites were bullying the Israelites.Gideon was defying them by hiding his food. See how strategic this is when you really think about it. He was chosen to start a war because he was already in a form of war with them. He was saying, "So naturally, God I want to win this war and with my methods it can't be done but If you will just lead me, let me know that you are the one in control then I can move ahead with assurance. Because yes, I want to destroy my enemy, I hate them but I got to know that you are the one telling me to do this now. My life, my future, my family, my destiny is at stake here. I can't afford to do something that will cause a chain of reaction that will lead to further destruction of my nation." God allows his fleece both times. Gideon goes to war and just as God spoke he is victorious.

Now he's where I want to go with this. After all this, the battle is over and the people realize they are free. They ask Gideon to rule over them and that his sons and his sons' sons rule over them. Gideon, the humble man he is, refuses but here's how I know that Gideon in his own strength would make bad decisions and that is why He needed God to confirm His will to him, often. He did not trust his own ability to make a sound decision. How do I know well, read Judges 8:22-27. Yep, Gideon made a BAD decision here. At the beginning of his story, we see him destroying the idols that his people had started to worship so they could take their rightful place as the chosen nation. Now you have him creating a stumbling block that leads the Children of Israel back into the idol worshiping that got them into trouble in the first place. Gideon was not faithful in all the things the Lord require of him. Why didn't Gideon ask the Lord for a sign or place another fleece before the Lord?

He did not realize that he had to finish as strong as he started. Don't make the same mistake as Gideon. Remember to be found faithful in the end. All the great things Gideon had done were now tainted and destroyed by an act that caused a blemish on his family. Which then led to a horrible sin. The death of his sons. Yes, Gideon, delivered his nation, yes he got wealth and was able to help his family. He had many wives and many children, but he died in shame and not honor.

Remember it's all in how you finish. Finish the way you want to be remembered.

You are Bound No More. 

Pastor Linda Hillman 
(c) 2012 LAH Ministries International 
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