Today’s passage is Judges 7:15-25.
After visiting the enemy camp at night and hearing the dream interpretation in his favor, Gideon returns to his men, wakes them up, and divides them into three companies. Each one is to carry a trumpet in his right hand and a torch in an empty pottery jar in his left. On Gideon’s signal, they blow the trumpets, break the jars to show the torches, and yell. God inspires the enemy with panic and they run away. Gideon sends messengers to call out the Israelites who pursue the enemy in a rout.
Why do Gideon and his 300 men have only trumpets and torches in empty jars? Why does he divide the 300 into three companies?
Spiritual battles require spiritual weapons, and only God and the angels have those. When I think I have the skill, the talent or the power to handle things by myself, then I will fail against the enemy of salvation.
What I need is the trumpet of the Holy Spirit and the light of the Gospel.
My jar has to be empty so that God can work through it and me.
The war is over and God won on the cross and the empty tomb.
I’m engaged daily in the mopping up battles.
Today, as usual, I tried to bring a full jar to my meeting with my brother in law.
My jar is full of self-righteousness.
Today is the day to take out trash paper for recycling.
In addition, our container of plastic and metal and our other container of plastic bags, wrap, etc. were full and needed emptying.
I thought about this as I walked through the parking lot to my apartment building.
I thought about doing the recycling when I got home.
But all I did was put the box of paper by the door.
I would take it down later, I said to myself, after I do some more 1:1 homework.
While I was doing my homework my brother in law got home.
He immediately took the box of paper back down to the recycling and then returned. Was I grateful? No! I grumbled because he did only the obvious recycling.
He didn’t go get the other containers and take them.
I complained that all he did was what was put in front of him.
Why couldn’t he do more, I muttered. Why couldn’t he express his gratitude for living with me by doing more work?
God immediately reminded me about Pastor Kim said in Wednesday’s sermon about Jael serving Sisera with a blanket and milk.
I was the one who was supposed to serve my brother in law not the reverse!
So I took out the recycling and the food trash and let my brother in law rest.
Although my self-righteousness came down a notch, it’s still there. I’m still struggling.
Application: Stop expecting my brother in law to do what I should be doing. He’s my guest.
Lord, let me always have an empty jar so that you can fill it with what I need to serve you..
