Sunday 8 May

Judges 7:8b-8:35

70 sons?? I thought I was doing quite well with 3!  I’ll have to say to my wife “I’m afraid it’s date night again tonight my sweet; 67 to go...” I’m lost in admiration and wonder that any man could ever achieve such a feat.  But that is partly the point, I think. Gideon is yet another example of a mediocre individual prospering far beyond their ability due to the hand of God lifting them and walking them along the way.  As far as I can tell, Gideon didn’t bring a whole lot to the table, but God called him anyway.  And while God aced his part (that round loaf of barley bread dream was a nice touch wasn’t it?) Gideon flunked it for all Israel.  What on earth was Gideon doing setting up a golden ephod in Ophrah and why, when it became a snare, did he not smash it up? Tragically it seems that Gideon felt like he had done his bit so he rocked back, put up his feet and hid behind the line “The LORD will rule over you” as if that divested him of any responsibility to fulfill his role as Judge for all Israel.  Gideon is just the latest note in the glorious chorus of the praise of God and in the pathetic whimper of the fallenness of mankind.  There remains today a temptation to eat up God’s blessings while spitting out the responsibility of his calling. But, we can look for help to the One Man who resisted that urge and stayed true till the last.  He is the one who can make us strong.  He is the one who is conforming us into His own likeness.

John 5:31-47

Here you go, bish bash bosh, the three big calls on the life of every follower of Jesus: 1) study the word and works of God 2) go to Jesus for life 3) make effort to obtain the praise that comes from God.  You could probably add more but they are not in this passage (that I can see) and these seem like enough to be getting along with.  The studying is done as an investigation into Jesus, continually asking what an action or a phrase says about Jesus. The coming to Jesus for life just sounds immensely simple - it is approaching him and being willing to receive.  And then, seeking praise from God is a wonder in itself - why on earth would He as the Primary Being even notice me, let alone praise me for something?  What a hugely motivating concept.  I’m happy to sweat for that.  I’m happy to lose sleep for that.  How amazing would it be to come into the presence of the Father and for him to actually say “well done...”

Proverbs 11:19-28

There's nothing like the image of a huge, fat, stinking pig to put a check on lustful urges (v22).