Gideon's Victory Principle

How do you make it change(your situation)?
...
The worrier became a winner, the victim a victor!

The people of the world may not always be fair but God is and in His hand the victim becomes a victor.


Difficulties can create discouragements
Discouragement creates doubts
Doubts create despair
Despair usually stifles wisdom


Judges 6 Gideon

Judges 6

New International Version (NIV)

Judges 6

Gideon

 ¹ The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. ² Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. ³ Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. ⁴ They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. ⁵ They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count them or their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. ⁶ Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the LORD for help. ⁷ When the Israelites cried out to the LORD because of Midian, ⁸ he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. ⁹ I rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians. And I delivered you from the hand of all your oppressors; I drove them out before you and gave you their land. ¹⁰ I said to you, ‘I am the LORD your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”
 ¹¹ The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. ¹²When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”
 ¹³ “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
 ¹⁴ The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
 ¹⁵ “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
 ¹⁶ The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”
 ¹⁷ Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. ¹⁸ Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.”
   And the LORD said, “I will wait until you return.”
 ¹⁹ Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah^[a] of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.
 ²⁰ The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. ²¹ Then the angel of the LORD touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the LORD disappeared. ²² When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
 ²³ But the LORD said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”
 ²⁴ So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
 ²⁵ That same night the LORD said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old.^[b] Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole^[c] beside it. ²⁶Then build a proper kind of^[d] altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second^[e] bull as a burnt offering.”
 ²⁷ So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.
 ²⁸ In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar!
 ²⁹ They asked each other, “Who did this?”
   When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
 ³⁰ The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
 ³¹ But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” ³² So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal^[f] that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.”
 ³³ Now all the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples joined forces and crossed over the Jordan and camped in the Valley of Jezreel. ³⁴ Then the Spirit of the LORD came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. ³⁵ He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.
 ³⁶ Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— ³⁷ look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.” ³⁸ And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the fleece and wrung out the dew—a bowlful of water.
 ³⁹ Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece, but this time make the fleece dry and let the ground be covered with dew.” ⁴⁰ That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

Intellectual faith is required for deliverance. Intellectual faith requires an encounter with God. Intellectual faith is demonstrated by the removal of the baals in our lives.

*If our faith is not from our encounter with God then we will not know the true voice of God. Faith from understanding.

1. God provided for him a promise we can hold on to. (Judges 6:12;16)
- He is describing who you will be. (claim the promise of God)

2. God provides a Purah to ease up our fears. (Judges 7:9-10)
- Persons willing to suffer(Purah) with you. Sasamahan ka nya at gagaan ang pakiramdam mo.


3. God provides a partnership to assure our victory [300] (Judges 7:1-8)

- Gideon's Lappers: counted among the brave 10000
- They were alert and ready to act; they were loyal to him
- Those who knelt down won't help or will be of little help(matatakutin) 


Questions to ask yourself!

Who are the Mideanites in your life? Your enemies

Who are the 22000 in your life? Friends that are scared

Who are the 9700 in your life? Not alert

Who are the Ephraimites in your life? Will find faults

Get to know what God has actually said.

Get to know your Purah.

Get to know your 300 lappers.

Then act in obedience.

There is no fear that cannot be conquered by faith!

Samson and Delilah: Story Of Squandered Success

This preaching comes from Judges 14

Judges 14:1-3

New International Version (NIV)

Judges 14

Samson’s Marriage

 ¹ Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. ² When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.”

 ³ His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?”

   But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.”

Samson was distinguished

• his physical strength
• his spiritual title: Nazarite for life: cannot cut his hair and cannot drink wine; indication of God's blessing ea. John the Baptist
• his spiritual task - Judge - addressing songs in Israel 
• now immortalized by a song
• his early success was attributed to
  - good parents
  - good discipline as a Nazarite
  - fellowship with God (Judges 13:24-25)

From the time he started liking women, he stared losing his:

- Freedom..of movement

- Fellowship..with family and his people

- Future

The hair was a symbol of special relationship of Samson with God. Samson is a story of squandered success, stolen blessings and losses of gargantuan proportion.

So..How should we govern our lives?

1. Consult those who are spiritual or mature leaders (Judges 14:1)

- instead of consulting his Father he instructed him.

- this story reminds us of the prodigal son (Luke 15)

- this is a sign of disaster

- problem is we think that purities are old fashion when we know parents know what are disastrous.

"DO NOT GO WISE ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING"

2. Controlling our personal desire(na bawal/not allowed)

- Samson finds a harlot

3. We need to correct our attitude that lead us to narrow escapes.
- narrow escapes - situation that almost had us.
- muntik-muntik we forget and this leads to failure
- so, be wise! It is God's grace that should remind us that we should not repeat that mistake.

God's cure for an Achan heart

Our Passage comes from 

Joshua 7

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Joshua 7

Israel Is Defeated at Ai

 ¹ But the sons of Israel acted unfaithfully in regard to the things under the ban, for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, took some of the things under the ban, therefore the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel. ² Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven, east of Bethel, and said to them, “^[a]Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai. ³ They returned to Joshua and said to him, “Do not let all the people go up; only about two or three thousand men need go up ^[b]to Ai; do not make all the people toil up there, for they are few.” ⁴ So about three thousand men from the people went up there, but they fled ^[c]from the men of Ai. ⁵ The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them ^[d]from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became as water.
 ⁶ Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell to the earth on his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, both he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust on their heads. ⁷ Joshua said, “Alas, O Lord ^[e]GOD, why did You ever bring this people over the Jordan, only to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? If only we had been willing ^[f]to dwell beyond the Jordan! ⁸ O Lord, what can I say since Israel has turned their ^[g]back before their enemies? ⁹ For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and they will surround us and cut off our name from the earth. And what will You do for Your great name?”
 ¹⁰ So the LORD said to Joshua, “Rise up! Why is it that you have fallen on your face? ¹¹ Israel has sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them. And they have even taken some of the things under the ban and have both stolen and deceived. Moreover, they have also put them among their own things. ¹² Therefore the sons of Israel cannot stand before their enemies; they turn their ^[h]backs before their enemies, for they have become accursed. I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst. ¹³ Rise up! Consecrate the people and say, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for thus the LORD, the God of Israel, has said, “There are things under the ban in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you have removed the things under the ban from your midst.” ¹⁴ In the morning then you shall come near by your tribes. And it shall be that the tribe which the LORD takes by lot shall come near by families, and the family which the LORD takes shall come near by households, and the household which the LORD takes shall come near man by man. ¹⁵ It shall be that the one who is taken with the things under the ban shall be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has committed a disgraceful thing in Israel.’”

The Sin of Achan

 ¹⁶ So Joshua arose early in the morning and brought Israel near by ^[i]tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken. ¹⁷ He brought the family of Judah near, and he took the family of the Zerahites; and he brought the family of the Zerahites near man by man, and Zabdi was taken. ¹⁸ He brought his household near man by man; and Achan, son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, from the tribe of Judah, was taken. ¹⁹ Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I implore you, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.”²⁰ So Achan answered Joshua and said, “Truly, I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel, and^[j]this is what I did: ²¹ when I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle from Shinar and two hundred shekels of silver and a bar of gold fifty shekels in weight, then I coveted them and took them; and behold, they are concealed in the earth inside my tent with the silver underneath it.” ²² So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent; and behold, it was concealed in his tent with the silver underneath it. ²³ They took them from inside the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the sons of Israel, and they poured them out before the LORD. ²⁴ Then Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the mantle, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his^[k]oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up tothe valley of ^[l]Achor. ²⁵ Joshua said, “Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day.” And all Israel stoned ^[m]them with stones; and they burned them with fire ^[n]after they had stoned them with stones. ²⁶ They raised over him a great heap of stones that stands to this day, and the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the valley of ^[o]Achor to this day.

Achan has sinned and Israelites are defeated by Ai. Therefore they were commanded to sanctify themselves.

Strict set of guidlines to follow:

Joshua 6:18-19

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁸ But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, so that you do not ^[a]covetthem and take some of the things under the ban, and make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it. ¹⁹ But all the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are holy to the LORD; they shall go into the treasury of the LORD.”

What it meams to have an achan heart: 

It is a secular, proud and rebellious

Doing God's work but not in God's will

It is a secretive heart

Achan hid his sin under his tent but Achan's secret was revealed

Ecclesiastes 12:14

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁴ For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

Its is a selfish heart

Thinking of "self"; he does not consider the implications that his sin could bring upon his own family and friends

Galatians 2:20

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and ^[a]thelife which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

How to avoid achan heart?

1. Do not rationalize sin
A. When we rationalize sin : we disregard God's message!
Not tithing, pornography, disrepect to authority, adultery, unfaithfulness to church etc.

B. We disrespect God's man: God sent you pastors and leaders to watch over you to guide you to grow; you have a man who is called commisioned, and equiped to deliver His Word; don't ignore or avoid the message of God's annointed servant

C. Disrupt God's program
God allowed a set back to re-focus His beloved children
God's people had been faithful, but they were about to undergo a painful pruning in order to bring about more fruit
One mans sin stopped the forward movement of God's people and temptation disrupted God's plan

2. Do not hide sin

Proverbs 15:3

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

³ The eyes of the LORD are in every place,
Watching the evil and the good.

God's knows about your sin

God hate our sins 

Proverbs 6:16-19

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 ¹⁶ There are six things which the LORD hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination ^[a]to Him:
¹⁷ Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
¹⁸ A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
¹⁹ A false witness who utters lies,
And one who ^[b]spreads strife among brothers.

God does not overlook sin

Proverbs 6:14-15

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁴ Who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil,
Who ^[a]spreads strife.
¹⁵ Therefore his calamity will come suddenly;
Instantly he will be broken and there will be no healing.

God punishes our sin 

Galatians 6:7-8

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁷ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. ⁸ For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

Reality:

Our sin affects those around us

Our sin hinders God's work

Matthew 13:58

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁵⁸ And He did not do many ^[a]miracles there because of their unbelief.

We must deal with our sin 

1 Corinthians 11:34

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

³⁴ If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.

God can forgive our sins

1 John 1:9

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

God wants you to confess your sin not bury it
He would much rather forgive you, than punish you
That's why Jesus died upon the cross. Jesus paid the debt that our sin had racked up
Confess and turn from the sin in your heart

3. A sinful heart must be mortified

Romans 8:13

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹³ for if you are living according to the flesh, you ^[a]must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Colossians 3:5

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

 ⁵ Therefore ^[a]consider the members of your earthly body as dead to ^[b]immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which ^[c]amounts to idolatry.

We are not told to learn how to live with our faults and failures - we are told to kill them!

Proverbs 16:18-19

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁸ Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
¹⁹ It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly
Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

There's no power of Satan too great for us to overcome in the power of the spirit of God. But there is no power of Satan too small that we can overcome it in the power of our flesh

1 Peter 5:8

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁸ Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Be Blessed

"Shrink Back" Syndrome

Question posed to the youth: Why do we have this topic?


It is because many of those who came from DOTA camp may have been or is stuck with there they are or are going back to their old ways.

Hebrews 10:5

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁵ Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,
   “SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED,
BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME;




It was not a smooth journey because Israelites were stubborn people. 

Exodus 13:17-18

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

God Leads the People

 ¹⁷ Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” ¹⁸ Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the^[a]Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt.

similar to...

Judges 6

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Judges 6

Israel Oppressed by Midian

 ¹ Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD gave them into the hands of Midian seven years. ² The ^[a]power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. ³ For it was when Israel had sown, that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sons of the east and ^[b]go against them. ⁴ So they would camp against them anddestroy the produce of the earth ^[c]as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey. ⁵ For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts for number, both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it. ⁶ So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the LORD. ⁷ Now it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD on account of Midian, ⁸ that the LORD sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘It was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of ^[d]slavery. ⁹ I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all your oppressors, and dispossessed them before you and gave you their land, ¹⁰ and I said to you, “I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not ^[e]obeyed Me.”’”

Gideon Is Visited

 ¹¹ Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the ^[f]oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites. ¹² The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.” ¹³ Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” ¹⁴ The LORD ^[g]looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?” ¹⁵ He said to Him, “O Lord, ^[h]how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” ¹⁶ But the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall ^[i]defeat Midian as one man.” ¹⁷ So ^[j]Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. ¹⁸ Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You.” And He said, “I will remain until you return.” ¹⁹ Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ^[k]ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket ^[l]and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the ^[m]oak and presented them. ²⁰ The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. ²¹ Then the angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the angel of the LORD ^[n]vanished from his sight. ²² When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD, ^[o]he said, “Alas, O Lord ^[p]GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.” ²³ The LORD said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.” ²⁴ Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and named it ^[q]The LORD is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
 ²⁵ Now on the same night the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s bull ^[r]and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the ^[s]Asherah that is beside it; ²⁶ and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” ²⁷ Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.

The Altar of Baal Destroyed

 ²⁸ When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah which was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built. ²⁹ They said to one another, “Who did this thing?” And when they searched about and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.” ³⁰ Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it.” ³¹ But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will ^[t]plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar.” ³²Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he had torn down his altar. ³³ Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves; and they crossed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel. ³⁴ So the Spirit of the LORD ^[u]came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him. ³⁵ He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.

Sign of the Fleece

 ³⁶ Then Gideon said to God, “If You will deliver Israel ^[v]through me, as You have spoken, ³⁷ behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel ^[w]through me, as You have spoken.” ³⁸ And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. ³⁹ Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.” ⁴⁰ God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground.

The thought of an available path that was easier for the Israelites to take and God chose to bring people through an impossible route is what we should take notice of. 

3 Important truths(what Israelites were showing) from the journey of the Israelites to the Promise Land.

1. Ability - This is God-given but if we rely on it too much we forget the One who has provided us with it.
We must remember the Provider of our ability for everything we do is for the name of the Lord to be glorified!

2. Attitude - 12 spies were sent to spy on the Promise Land and reported 2 different kinds of news. Joshua and Caleb reported good news while the other 10 reported bad news. Because of the presence of fear and lack of trust with the Lord the Israelites were punished to roam around the wilderness for another 40 years. Big problems with the right attitude gets positive results while those with small problems with the wrong attitude get a negative result. It is all about attitude! We cannot enter where God is leading us. It is our character to be over-comers because we are more than conquerors!

3. Addictions - those who have been led out by God somehow return to their addictions that is why they do not level up.

Numbers 33:50-55

New International Version (NIV)

 ⁵⁰ On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho the LORD said to Moses, ⁵¹ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, ⁵² drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. ⁵³ Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess. ⁵⁴Distribute the land by lot, according to your clans. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one. Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.
 ⁵⁵ “‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live.

We remember the story of when the Israelites destroyed Jericho which is the land of temptation. After this victory we remember the story of Achan stealing objects for his own pleasure and forgetting God's commands.

What is our solution then?

OUR FOCUS IS NOT OUR SALVATION BUT CROWNS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS to give back to God the Glory that He deserves.

In this process we must DIE TO OURSELVES! Follow Jesus to keep leveling up!

Be Blessed!