The Word – Delivered

The Word:

deliver

verb

de·​liv·​er di-ˈli-vər  

delivered; delivering di-ˈli-v(ə-)riŋ  ; delivers

transitive verb

1: to set free and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil—Matthew 6:13 (King James Version)

2a: to take and hand over to or leave for another: to CONVEY – “I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand’?” Judges 4:7

b: HAND OVER, SURRENDER  – they delivered themselves over to God

c: to cause (oneself) to produce as if by giving birth – has delivered himself of half an autobiography—H. C. Schonberg

4: SPEAK, SING, UTTER – delivered a fiery sermon to the congregation – to deliver a song or to deliver a speech

Focal Passage:

“It happened on the same night that the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand. But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant, and you shall hear what they say;

“Now the Midianites and Amalekites, all the people of the East, were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude.

And when Gideon had come, there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said, “I have had a dream: To my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed.”

Then his companion answered and said, “This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand, God has delivered Midian and the whole camp.”

And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel, and said, “Arise, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.”

Judges 7:12-15

Looking to God

Look around you and see where God is at work. I assure you He is, and I assure you that wherever He is working the harvest is great, but the workers are few. Is God speaking to you about the work He’s doing? You will know if He does. You may deny it, most do, but you will know that He is speaking. And, when God speaks to you, you will have a crisis of belief, just as Gideon did in the focal passage, and Ananias of Damascus when God spoke to him about Saul.

You will have any number of excuses; “Who, me?” “You want me to what?” “That’s crazy. I can’t do that. I’m not big enough or strong enough. I don’t have the resources or the time. I don’t have the power or prestige.”

Neither did Mother Teresa, nor any number of obedient followers of Christ, all the way back to Jesus Himself. But God will deliver everything you need into your hands just as he did for Gideon, for Ananias, and for dozens of others in scripture and thousands upon thousands in the history of the church. What’s truly required, however, is a real relationship with Him and an invitation to join Him in His work. Then, when God speaks, whether, by scripture, circumstance, another person, in a vision, or audibly, you will know it is Him speaking to you. Then will begin your crisis of belief, your battle with self-doubt. It’s okay for you, like Gideon and so many others, to ask God for proof, a sign. He understands your doubts, but you must remember that God works through timing. He is the master of time and when He calls you to act, you must act in His timing, or something dear to both you and Him will be lost, possibly forever. Stop, Look, and Listen. God is at work all around you.

Prayer:

Father: forgive us when we are slow to respond. Help us to know You in a loving relationship, Lord, and not in Your wrath. Pour out Your Spirit on us and on the world around us. Show us Your work, Father. Send Your invitation and speak to us, Lord God, that we might serve you in a way that is pleasing to You. Deliver the victory into our hands for we ask it in Jesus’ Name. Amen.