April - Day 15

Judges 8 - Gideon faced tension from his allies because they didn't know why he hadn't come to them for help, but he continued to do what God told him to do.  Sometime people will not understand or agree with what you are doing when you are following God, but we are accountable to God before man.  With 300 troops, Gideon defeated thousands.  The leaders of Succoth and Peniel said they were willing to feed his army only if they won.  We should be eager to help those that God has put his hand of blessing on even before the victory, but we must be tuned in to the Holy Spirit in order to determine God's anointing.  We often rally around those who have proven themselves rather than investing in those that God is raising and miss out on sharing in the blessing.  Gideon made and ephod as a memorial for their victories but this became a trap for the Israelites.  We should remember and celebrate what God has done in the past, but we can't make the mistake of idolizing those victories.  While the people wanted Gideon to rule of them, Gideon refused and pointed them back to God.

Psalm 85 - As we cry out to God to move and save people and see revival, his people must return to him whole heartedly.  Righteousness, or right living is fertile ground for a mighty move of God.

Mark 6:14-29 - Bad things happen to all people, even Godly people, because there is evil in the world.  When sin entered, evil came with it.  Herodias hated John because he spoke truth.  Darkness hates the light and wants to destroy it, but the good new we have is that the light wins in the end.  

1 Corinthians 8 - We are free from rules steeped in religion because of Jesus, but just because we are free to do something doesn't mean we should.  We should be willing to give up our "freedom" in order to prevent division or to keep from causing someone else from sinning.