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Word4Today Daily Bible Devotional

by Bob and Debby Gass

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‘Bring them down to the water, and I will test them.’ Judges 7:4 NKJV

Are you somebody who will spend hour after hour, day after day, week after week trying to help your mates overcome their issues? If so, you’ll know it can be frustrating—very often one step forwards two steps back! God loves that kind of faithfulness—but be careful! He doesn’t need you to do His job for Him, so you need to know where your work ends and His work starts!

Gideon was surrounded by too many people and lots of them were in the ‘high maintenance’ category! Through a series of tests God showed Gideon who he should keep with him and who he should send home. During the first test—the ‘fear test’—Gideon let go 22,000 men, leaving only 10,000. Two-thirds of his army were too scared to go on.

Next was the ‘water test’. God told Gideon: ‘Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink.’ (Judges 7:5 NIV) Only 300 soldiers passed this next test!

We learn two lessons from this story:

(1) You need to be able to see your enemy approaching. Those who kneeled down to drink sacrificed their vision to satisfy their immediate need.

(2) When God reduces your support, it’s in order to give you a miraculous victory.

So when the people around you can’t pass God’s ‘water test,’ let them go and trust God. He has something better in mind.

SoulFood: Hosea 1–5, Matt 21:1–17, Ps 144:9–15, Pro 14:5–8

word4today an adaptation of The Word For Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024

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