what can we possibly learn from Judges?

So I’ve been hanging out in Judges the past couple days, not
exactly thrilled to be reading about women driving pegs through men’s skulls,
but today God had some incredible relevancy for my life from chapter seven.  This
week, we are back out at the Gateway to lead a week-long youth group trip that’s
here from Birmingham.  I thought I was
just going to be going alongside the group as a translator, but after breakfast I was
asked to be one of the two project site leaders.  We were leaving within an hour of when I was
asked… so needless to say, I didn’t feel like I was bringing a lot to the
table.  In somewhat of a similar fashion,
when Gideon was headed to take down the Midianites, God basically told him- in
so many words, but including a funny story about lapping water like dogs- in
order that you don’t think it is anything that you are doing on your own strength
that is winning you the victory, send home everybody except three hundred
men.  Today, God glorified himself in a
way that was clearly about him.  I brought
no experience in leading 30 people in building a house or breaking into teams
to go build relationships in the colonia or running a VBS, but somehow
everything was accomplished and God was exalted in everything I saw today.  And when Jesus is lifted up in what we’re
doing, when He can be seen clearly through our words and actions, one could say
a victory is handed over.  Please pray
with me and for me this week; pray for my ability to listen to the Spirit’s
leading in order to lead others, and pray for the 60 high school students and
leaders that are here, that God would reveal Himself to each of them in new
ways, that we would all walk in obedience, and that none of us would begin to
think its anything we’re doing on our own strength that houses are being built,
people are being loved, the Gospel is being shared, and that the risen Christ
is being glorified.