Blessing Should Change Me

Scripture: The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” Judges 8:22-23

Observation: The story arc of Gideon - both individually and that of Israel surrounding him - is quite the study. Gideon begins as an unknown and fearful man in hiding, rejecting even the idea that the Lord would call him to leadership. After defeating the Midianites, he punishes disrespectful city leaders, challenges commentary from other tribes, and passes execution on foreign kings. While he rejects the call to become king if Israel, he leans into the honors and power of being the chief 'judge' to the point that he fathers 70 sons by many wives and concubines.

Meanwhile, Israel had been oppressed by the Midianites due to their worship of false gods. Upon being liberated by Gideon's leadership, they immediately call on Gideon to be king (a sign of explicitly not returning to Yahweh as their Lord). They begin worshipping a gold ephod that Gideon made, turning it into an idol. They soon resume worshipping the baals. Upon Gideon's death, one of his sons will attempt to exalt himself as king, and many will follow him.

It is as if, everything the Lord did to aid Israel and lead them into repentance for their sins, they turned into a launch pad for perpetuating sin, even leveraging some of the outcomes of their 'salvation' into a new type of idolatry, a new way to reject the Lord, and a new model for prideful self-rule.

Application: There is a lesson for all of us, myself included, about what we do after the Lord has redeemed and restored us, or given us blessings. When we are thankful and acknowledge the Lord, but then go about our lives in the days to come as if nothing happened ... or even using the blessings we received for our selfish lives ... we are just like Israel and Gideon.

When the Lord blesses me, it should change my life in a way that draws me closer to him. I should respond to blessing with not just short-term thanks and worship, but with a renewed alignment of my daily walk that reflects his path for me, not my path, and certainly not the world's path. Blessing should change me on the inside, with my outward actions then reinforcing that change.

Despite life's hardships, I am overwhelmingly blessed. I need to give more of the blessing back into the kingdom, in the form of what I do and how I think on a daily basis.

Prayer: Lord, you are my portion in life, and I am very, very aware that all I have is from you. May my life become a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to you. I will try to align my thoughts to your thoughts, and my ways to your ways, all the more. I will not bargain and ask for something specific that I may then respond to, for you have already given me more than I could ever repay. Amen.