Ceasing The Opportunity To Support Heaven’s Mission

Ceasing The Opportunity To Support Heaven’s Mission

Judges 8:4-9
“And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.”

 

Some times, we may not have the evidence people need in other for our testimony to appear valid, but as they watch, they begin to understand and believe what has been said. At the early start of Christ’s earthly ministry, some people did not believe he was the Messiah because of how they supposed a Messiah should look like which was contrary to both the looks and charisma of Christ. But while he lived the undeniable life, it became evident that, truly, the Messiah has come. His Messiahship was not determined on the basis of what men thought of him but simply on what has been written concerning Him.

Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. – Hebrews 10:7

Man’s supposition beclouds his chance of the reality of heaven’s mission right in front of him.

When we allow our supposition to becloud the reality of heaven’s mission in front of us, instead of giving our support, we will be busy judging the situation, as in the case of Gideon’s pursuit.

We despise men when we don’t understand their mission and the mandate they have received from God, just as Christ was despised by some of his own countrymen while exhibiting the prestigious attitude of a Messiah. In astonishment the people asked, “Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So, they were offended at Him. They were shortsighted and displeased because he seems to be acting really different from the ordinary people. Perhaps, they saw him to be purporting himself in the position of being greater than others both in words, deeds, signs and lifestyle, and they were offended. But Christ is the anointed One and will not do less.

The men of Succoth and Penuel despised Gideon and his army because their faithlessness in God could not let them see their opportunity to be part of heaven’s mission when Gideon made a request to them to Give bread to his army.

They were not willing to invest into God’s battle.

But in John 4:7 Jesus made a similar request to the woman of Samaria as she came down to the well to draw water. He said to her, “Give me to drink.”

At this time, it was recorded that Christ was tired and his disciples has gone to get something for them to eat, but regardless of His tiredness, he never retired from his mandate to continue his mission of winning the lost soul. The woman of Samaria’s decision to give or not give Christ water to drink cannot stop his mission either, because the spirit of his Father will always renew his strength. For “I must work the works of him that sent me…”

Fortunately, for the woman of Samaria, unlike the men of Succoth and Penuel, she did not put off the Messiah. Instead, she made an enquiry to learn more about his request which brought divine enlightenment to her and gave her the privilege to have the Living water right on the inside of her.

John 4:7,9-10
“There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.”

While Gideon and his army were running after the Midianites, they came to a point where it seemed their strength could no longer carry them. And Gideon asked, “GIVE I PRAY YOU loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.”

Gideon didn’t ask for much. He only asked for bread just as Jesus asked for water, but the men of Succoth and Penuel willingly refused, despising the missionary and his mission.

“…Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?” (Judges 8:6)

When we Give to heaven’s mission, it is a privilege and an investment we are making in the account of heaven.

Sometimes, we judge by what we see — the present situation, as it were. I could imaging Gideon and his 300 men, faint yet pursuing, how they probably looked like. Of course, they’d look like hungry men. Also, the two kings, Zebah and Zalmunna whom they were chasing after was even no where in sight, at least to convince the men of Succoth and Penuiel. And so, what Gideon said didn’t look like a victorious mission, neither was it convincing, rather he looked like one begging for bread in the name of running an assignment for God.

The people despised his request, not knowing it was an opportunity presented before them by God.

 

The Sure Response of Gideon

And Gideon said, “Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.”

” Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand… “When I come again… ”

Not “If the Lord” or “If I come again” Gideon’s mission of capturing and conquering the Midianites was not under a probability, it was an assured victory given to him by God himself.

If we recall what the angel of the LORD told Gideon in Judges 6:14, it says,
Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

He was commissioned to Go. It was not a self-embarked mission. And that was his conviction.

People may not know what a man has received from the Lord in the secret, the reason why some may respond to what they say without given it any thought. But whether the reply of the people is positive or negative, that cannot change the assurance and conviction God has given a man, because though the whole world desert him, God who started the mission is able to finish it.

As long as the men of Succoth and Penuiel was concerned, Gideon and his men were losers.

Shortsightedness hinders us from recognizing opportunity. In this case, it was an opportunity to give to heaven’s mission.

 

Is everyone commanded to give?

Giving to Support Heaven’s Mission

The work of God is different from the way we may handle our secular work. What heaven demand in its work is sacrificial giving, and that out of a heart that is touched by God to do so, not for everyone.

Exodus 25:2
“Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.”

2 Corinthians 9:7
“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give ; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

Who are those that can support heaven’s mission?

They are those who do so with the characteristics of Exodus 25:2 & 2 Cor. 9:7. They are the people God accept his gifts from. This means that if a man gives without a willing heart or gives out of necessity (let it not look like I didn’t do it), or grudgingly, God doesn’t recognize such giving, because he does not compel any man.

The heart that is touched by God it is the same he has commanded to give. Before Gideon made a request for his men, they must have passed through other cities, but coming to these, he felt the need to ask their support. So, it was not about Gideon, but God, who was presenting an opportunity to the people of Succoth and Peniuel to be part of heaven’s mission, so that they may be part of those included for divine preservation.

Haven’t we come across similar requests like that of Gideon’s? It would be bad if servants and messengers of Christ make such request without a purpose or mission that sincerely describes it. Just like Gideon wasn’t asking for himself, but to support his men in a mission field to not faint in the middle of their assignment, so are genuine ministers with heaven’s purpose, not asking for themselves but for the work.

We would become like the men of Succoth and Penuiel if we say, “…are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand that we should give bread to thy army?”

We miss heaven’s purpose when we think we are doing men a favor. Our service is unto the Lord, not to man, and from the Lord we will receive our reward

The truth is, not that giving is too much for people to do, but sometimes, people simply want their giving to be associated with the great, established, or recognized, where it can be directly or indirectly celebrated. That is what is common in the world. But if we give for that intent, then we are substituting our heavenly reward for the earthly. God knows and chooses how he rewards everyone, so let us give with the mind of Christ.

Are we ceasing the opportunity to support heaven’s mission? If we are willing to be partakers, God will direct our hearts.

“And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.” — Judges 8:5

Mark 9:41
“For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.”

 

The mission must not be terminated because the people were fainting, instead, their strength must be renewed. God will always cater for the prosperity of his work, even if those he would have used refuses him.

At the end of the day for Gideon and his army, not only was the kings of Midian given into their hands, the lot of both Succoth and Penuiel became theirs. They were dispossessed of their possessions because of a lost opportunity.

 

 

The Lord rewards every giver.