Morning, September 20
Go To Evening Reading
“The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.”
Judges 7:20
Gideon ordered his men to do two things: covering up a torch in an
earthen pitcher, he bade them, at an appointed signal, break the pitcher
and let the light shine, and then sound with the trumpet, crying,
“The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon! the sword of the Lord, and of
Gideon!” This is precisely what all Christians must do. First, you must shine ; break the pitcher which conceals your light; throw aside the bushel
which has been hiding your candle, and shine. Let your light shine
before men; let your good works be such, that when men look upon you,
they shall know that you have been with Jesus. Then there must be the sound , the blowing of the trumpet. There must be active exertions for the
ingathering of sinners by proclaiming Christ crucified. Take the gospel
to them; carry it to their door; put it in their way; do not suffer
them to escape it; blow the trumpet right against their ears. Remember
that the true war-cry of the Church is Gideon’s watchword, “ The sword of the Lord , and of Gideon!” God must do it, it is his own work. But we are not to be idle; instrumentality
is to be used—“The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon !” If we only cry, “The sword of the Lord!” we shall be guilty of an idle presumption; and if we shout, “The sword of Gideon!” alone, we shall manifest idolatrous reliance on an arm of flesh:
we must blend the two in practical harmony, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” We can do nothing of ourselves, but we can do everything by the help
of our God; let us, therefore, in his name determine to go out personally
and serve with our flaming torch of holy example, and with our trumpet
tones of earnest declaration and testimony, and God shall be with
us, and Midian shall be put to confusion, and the Lord of hosts shall
reign forever and ever.