The Thinning Out: God's Strategy For A Victorious Life

During a prayer meeting, my sister prayed, "Lord, make me a sword for You to tear down the enemy's strategies." As I studied Judges and Gideon's story, I pondered the meaning of being a sword for the Lord.

At first, it sounded like an ideal request to the Lord, but the reality of these words is reflected in the Gideon story. I came across the lines he told the warriors to proclaim when they went to battle "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon". For the very first time I pondered, what does it mean to be a sword for the Lord? 

Before the Lord asked Gideon to make this profound and life-changing declaration He did "the thinning process". The Lord had already given his word to Gideon that he would give him victory but then after Gideon gathered men for war God also said to him in...

Judges 6:2 (NIV)  

The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’

The Lord thinned out his army from 32,000 to 300 men (Judges 6:2-3, 7:7). This reduction seemed ridiculous, but the battle wasn't about Gideon's strength; it was the Lord's.

In the moments before the battle and victory, Gideon was lost in an emotion of doubt, fear, and discouragement. 

Yes! The Lord wanted this moment so he wouldn't trust in his own strength, skill, or expertise but also the Lord wanted him to trust in His words. 

Similarly, in our lives, the Lord takes us through challenges, stripping away relationships, habits, and weights that hinder our trust in Him. 

This battle represents most seasons in my life and it can also be in your life too. After the Lord has given us a promise, and we go on to experience a wave of ups and downs, in that very moment the Lord is thinning us, not just physically of relationships and places that aren't needed for a victorious life but He is ridding us off the weights that would threaten His swordsman in battle. 

The thinning process can be difficult most times, painful some other times, and a basket full of uncertainty. This is because there are times he thins out of the precious relationships, jobs and careers that we pride ourselves in, the businesses, and several other weights. At this moment, he is saying  "I want you to trust me more".

God didn't forget you, God is thinning you for victory. However, God's strategy is not to abandon us but to prepare us for victory. As Revelation 12:14 (NIV) says, The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent's reach.

God's word reminds us that He has already given us victory. Our enemies know it, and we must trust in His words, not our own strength.

Stay Revived!

By Guest writer.

Encountering Jesus: A Fixed Gaze on the Saviour.

Have you ever imagined what the face of Jesus would look like? 

Do you sometimes think, "I want to see my Savior's face"?

The Bible so detailed painted Zachaeus' repentance when he first encountered the Savior. He never used the phrase " I will" but he rather used "I have". He might have heard of the miracles of Jesus and then he desired to see him. He came prepared and had already done away with the things the master didn't like. (Luke 19:8-9)

He took the posture of  someone who wanted a change, and he desired a relationship with God. Through this story, God is saying to us whenever we desire a change we do not come with the "I will" mindset but we should come having done away with the weights that would pull us back. 

Whenever he would hear the wonders which Jesus did I can imagine him amazed and restlessly imagining the moment he would encounter Him. A man who had filled the empty voids of thousands and he too wanted to behold  the face of this famous man. He was ready to go up the mountains and down below any hill just to see him. In his mind he would just be saying "I just want to see him, just to see him".

To this moments we could see the reality of Gods word which admonishes us to "looking up to Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith" 

When we look at Jesus, we do not just see body parts but we would no longer be ashamed. And so whatever reproach being a tax collector came with he sees Jesus and is transformed and renewed by him 

And when Jesus came to the tree he looked up and called out to him to come down 

Luke 19:5 (AMP) And when Jesus reached the place, He looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.

 Zacchaeus had to desperately seek Jesus out and the Lord made a stop at his home. 

So many times, we think we have seen Jesus, but we just look at him, Jesus desires that we see him. It gets so difficult to fix our focus on Jesus when life storms keep smashing on our boats. In these moments, in our low and high moments Christ wants us to see him, to cast our gaze at him. 

When we look deeply, we see him and in those moments his lights glow through us. 

Stay Revived!

Guest writer.

A Fixed Gaze on the Savior: Light that changes

 

As a child, the sting of shame is not felt but as we move into the moments where we can discern the voices of people we become vulnerable to this feeling. Shame and inadequacy can creep in as we navigate life's challenges. I recently felt this while searching for a solution to a problem, feeling lost without a plan. 

As I walked around the busy streets of the city I reside in, in search of a suitable firm to fix my application I became so aware of the reality of waking up without a fixed plan for my day, and in that moment I felt inadequately ashamed. 

I can recall listening to a random conversation with an acquaintance who couldn't show up in her family home because she was not yet married another spoke of not having kids and another conversation trailed on to life issues that made us feel ashamed and inadequate. 

Have you been stuck in this moment lately? 

Are there moments in your life that you call and still feel the stinging shame of the times? 

But God knew these moments would come in our life and so he gave us a way out. I have learned to pray during this time, I ask Jesus to reveal Himself to me. Seeing His face shifts my focus from shame to His goodness. When the psalmist wrote this scripture, he had known what it meant to be stuck and he encountered the light of God that brought to the place of a victor. 

Psalm 34:5 (NIV)

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

Would you say this prayer with me: 

"And so Lord I thank you because this doesn't end or break me, 

Thank you for this moment where I am radiated by your light and your goodness, 

I ask above all else that you would fill me with peace and in that package joy should be the wrap so I would know no sadness. 

May this season be to your glory and may your light continue to shine in my heart." 

Thank you, Jesus, Amen. 

Beloved, may Jesus shine forth his light in your heart as you look and see him.

Stay Revived!

Guest Writer.

The Power of Positive Confessions in the Face of Challenges

When the Shunammite woman faced the unimaginable—her son had died—she was not overwhelmed with grief. She could feel the coldness of his body, I can only imagine what was running through her mind. But in that moment, she did not let her emotions dictate her actions. She knew that something had gone wrong, and she also knew that an enemy was behind it. Without hesitation, she took her lifeless child to the prophet’s room and laid him on the bed.

Then, she saddled a donkey and set out, accompanied only by a servant. She didn’t even tell her husband what had happened—she simply left to seek the prophet.

This woman’s reaction to a heart-wrenching situation is an example for us all. How do we respond when things don’t go as we hope? When life presents us with challenges, our response as children of God determines how much influence the enemy can have in our lives. We are not meant to react like those who don’t know God. Instead, we should press forward, believing that our God is bigger than any challenge we face.

Though the Shunammite woman knew the reality that her son was dead, she was not willing to accept defeat. She believed that the God of the prophet, who had blessed her with the child in the first place, could not allow him to be taken away from her. Her faith was unwavering. She refused to give up, even when the circumstances seemed impossible. She confidently set off to find the prophet, believing in the power of God to bring her son back.

When Elisha saw her approaching from a distance, he told his servant to run and ask her: “Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?” Her response was simple but powerful: ” (2 Kings 4:27).

Even in the face of such overwhelming grief, the Shunammite woman’s confession was positive. She refused to let her words reflect fear or despair. As children of God, our confessions have the power to shape our reality. The Bible reminds us to focus on what is pure, holy, and praiseworthy. We are called to speak words of faith, not defeat.

The power of positive confession goes beyond sounding “spiritual” or wise. It’s about aligning our words with the truth of God’s promises. God spoke the world into existence, and the same power is available to us when we declare His word over our lives. Why, then, should we speak words of defeat and negativity when we serve a God who speaks life?

Proverbs 23:7 tells us, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” If we dwell on negative thoughts, those thoughts will eventually shape our actions and our lives. But when we declare words of faith, we align ourselves with God’s will for our lives and position ourselves for miracles. The Shunammite woman’s positive confession set her up for a miracle. In fact, Elisha didn’t even know there was a problem until she approached him and shared her story.

So, what is your attitude when faced with challenges? Do you allow your circumstances to dictate your emotions and reactions? Do you wear a gloomy face, as though you’re battling against God? The Shunammite woman was devastated, but her countenance did not reflect despair. She chose to believe that God could still make a way.

Friends, when life seems difficult, let’s choose faith over fear. Let’s keep our eyes on God’s promises and speak words of victory, even in the toughest of times. Positive confessions align us with God's power, and just like the Shunammite woman, our faith and words can position us for a miracle.

Stay Revived!