“And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:”

Jerimiah 32:39

The one heart and the one way is Christ. (“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6) True saints will have an united heart to fear the Almighty.

This fear is not just some respectful trust or some flip-it thing you have going on. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, to hate evil, prolongeth days, is clean enduring forever, a fountain of life, and much more. Why do the people of God have this (“…for the good of them, and of their children…”) (“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” Ps. 33:12)   Ask for and unite thy heart to fear the name of the Lord: so that ye and thy children may prosper.

“My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.”

Psalms 31:15

Know and adore the true and just One, whose name is Holy: which keepeth thee in the very palm of His hand. He which directs, controls, and shortens or lengthens our lives. Job saidin(Job 23:10 “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”)

Know and realize that God knows you better than you even know yourself. He is omniscient. He already knows the imperfections, pride, rebellion, stubbornness, lust, envy, weaknesses, and all sinful ways of our hearts and lives. He also knows the kindness, virtue, faith, patience, charity, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, goodness, joy, peace, temperance, love, generosity, and all Christ like character of our hearts and lives. It is the ones we manifest forth the most, telling who we are and our character. David said in (Psalms 139:1-4 “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.”)

Let us strive always to keep our Master and Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy One, foremost in our hearts, minds, and lives. Knowing assuredly His omniscience is past finding out and immeasurable. (“The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” Prov. 15:3) Therefore dearly beloved, let us go on to perfection in obedience to Christ for our times are in His hand.

“Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.”

Psalms 73:25

We ought to have only the heart’s desire to be near Christ. To behold His glory and sing His praise. Among the saints with the hymns of old in His house. (“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.” Ps. 63:1-2)

This world (lost) and things of it (bars, casinos, systems, world’s concerts, etc.) will pass away and should not be where saints abide. (“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” I John 2:15-17)

Relationships (to bind oneself to) in this life (marriage, business, or personal) ought to remain amongst the people of God: to please our Saviour and Lord and obey His word. (“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” II Cor. 6:14-18)

None can overflow the heart as Jesus, His comforting Spirit so heavenly and Divine; Holy, Meek, Lowly, Harmless, and Undefiled; OH, what joy for Him to say “…be not afraid, it is I.” My heart overflows for Jesus, for He is all my heart’s desire; His tender and loving hand holding me up throughout all of life’s trials.   Jesus my All in All.  Is He your only heart’s desire and you’re All in All?

“And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.”

Judges 7:20 

Israel was at war. It was the time of the Judges: whereby the Lord raised up men of God, men of faith, and men whom the Lord used to deliver Israel out of the hand of their enemies. Isarel during these times would go a whoring after other gods. Thus, the Lord would give them over to their enemies to humble them and bring them back to Him. Gideon was one of these Judges whom the Lord raised up to judge His people, to deliver them from their enemies, and to bring them back to the true and living God their Saviour.

Often throughout history, in God’s Word, the Lord does not use things of might, high and lofty, or things of great strength to overcome His enemies. Rather just the opposite: things that are weak, insignificant, small, or seemly of no use. (“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.” I Cor. 1:26-28) The Lord will use things or those of weakness, of humility, of meager means, of no understandable ways, etc. to defeat His enemies. Thus, it is the Lord whom receives all the praise and glory for it all. Amen. (“The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” Ps. 18:2)

The same it is here, for Gideon. Someone insignificant in Israel, using only three hundred men, with uncanny and simple instruments (The Trumpet, The Pitcher, and The Lamp). To defeat the Lord’s enemies and Israels, having thousands (the Midianites).

• The Trumpet: What can be said? In this instance: loud sound, horrible noise in the night; causing confusion, alarm, and disorientation to the Midianites. To the children of Israel a call to arms, to strength, to faith in the mighty God, to victory. For us today it is a call to sound out the gospel of Christ, warning, and teaching every man. (Col. 1:28). Giving, sharing, preaching the Word (KJVB) (“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” I Cor. 14:8) The Trumpet: A call to battle (in true sound, in exact amount, and in perfect time), as it was in the time of Gideon, so it is today. Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war. Not with the physical armament rather with the spiritual. (“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;” I Cor. 10:4) Preaching, witnessing, sharing of the glorious gospel (good news) of our Saviour Jesus Christ who died for our sins, rose again; who saved us and delivered us from such a great a death. (“Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” Phil. 2:16)   Amen.
• The Pitcher: What can be said? To the Midianites again an uncanny, loud, and horrible noise in the night, causing confusion, alarm, disorientation, and a distraction (the right sound needed for the battle). To Israel something small, insignificant, without use for battle, etc. Yet a mighty tool in the armament of the Lord. For us today: The Pitcher should be likened unto the saint: willing and ready in all for the battle, broken (humble in spirit) (Phil. 2:7), an instrument of fighting within, and contending for the faith without (right sound). (“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” I Tim. 6:12)
• The Lamp:What can be said? To the Midianites, the enemy of Israel and to the Lord: an illusion of a vast and mighty army coming down upon them causing maddening fear, alarm, confusion, disorientation, etc. To the Israelites just a light to see by and which way to go. Yet another mighty weapon in armament of the Lord. To the solider saint for us today, The Lamp: First: stands for our Saviour Jesus Christ (“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12) Secondly: we should be letting the Light, our Saviour Christ Jesus, shine through us to this lost, saddening and dying world. (“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matt. 5:14-16) Thirdly: The Lamp stands for the Word of God whereby we preach the Lord Jesus Christ. Having a bright and shining light is paramount to see by, to live by, and to preach or witness by. This is why we choose the (KJVB), see devotional study on Feb. 15. (“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Heb. 4:12) Fourthly: The Lamp is a type of the oil in the lamp which burned to give the Light, the Divine Holy Spirit. (“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.” Matt. 25:1-4)   We must with much prayer and supplications always seek the Lord (Prov. 3:5-6) in every endeavor, in all our ways, and in all our speech and conversation to be led of the Spirit. (Col. 4:6) (Lord forgive us, help us so, O Lord) Oh me – Oh my, how often we have failed. Let us continue the fight, examine, confess unto the Lord, strive to do His will, and be pleasing to our Heavenly Father and our Saviour Jesus Christ, His Son.

The Israelites won the battle over their enemies, the Midianites. Every Israelite warrior in position and place about the camp. The Lord fighting and giving the victory. Causing their enemies to battle even against themselves. (“And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath. And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.” Judges 7:21-23)   Glory, honor, and praise unto our mighty God and Prince of Peace, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Lord is always able and ready to give us all the victories in all the battles we fight (desires, needs, sickness, fears, perils, witness, etc), if we would only seek His Face, His will, and be obedient. Just as the children of Israel had to obey and follow the Lord’s instructions in utilizing: The Trumpet, The Pitcher, and The Lamp. Amen.

“And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet,  and worshipped him.  Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.”

Matthew 28:9

It is when we are only at the feet of Him who was crucified, buried, and risen again: are we able to worship, praise, serve, and glorify our mighty God and Saviour Jesus Christ. At the feet of our Saviour is the only place of peace, calm, and rest for our souls. It is the only place to admire, listen, and learn of His gracious words. It is the only place: at His feet, we receive the instruction, guidance, and understanding in the way we ought to go. (“And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.” Luke 10:39)