Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day.

Get behind our through the Bible project. Read more here Project23.

Our text today is Judges 6:25–32.

That night the LORD said to him, "Take your father's bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down." So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night. When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built. And they said to one another, "Who has done this thing?" And after they had searched and inquired, they said, "Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing." Then the men of the town said to Joash, "Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it." But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down." Therefore on that day Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal contend against him," because he broke down his altar. — Judges 6:25-32

Fresh from building an altar to the LORD, Gideon's first assignment isn't charging Midian's army — it's tearing down his father's altar to Baal and cutting down the Asherah pole beside it.

It's risky. This is personal. This is his family's idol and his community's false god. Gideon obeys — but he does it at night, still afraid of the backlash.

By morning, the whole town knows. They demand his death, but Gideon's father unexpectedly defends him: "If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself." That day, Gideon gets a new name: Jerubbaal — "Let Baal contend against him."

Before God sends you to confront the enemy "out there," He will ask you to confront the compromise "in here."

For Gideon, the victory over Midian had to start with victory over idolatry in his own home. It's the same for us — the battles that matter most often begin in the places closest to us:

• The habits no one else sees.
• The values we've tolerated.
• The cultural idols we've quietly accepted.

This is why worship must be followed by obedience. The altar of peace fuels the courage to pull down the altars that compete with God. And sometimes that means tough, awkward, costly steps before you ever face the "big" enemy.

If you skip this step, you might fight in public while losing in private. But if you obey here, you'll be ready for whatever comes next.

So what do you need to tear down today? Write it in your journal. Share it in the comments. And tear it down, regardless of what others say.

ASK THIS:

1. What "altars" — habits, compromises, or idols — has God been asking you to tear down?
2. How has fear kept you from confronting them?
3. Who in your life might be impacted if you took that stand?
4. Are you willing to start your battle where God says, not where you'd prefer?

DO THIS:

Write down one personal or family "altar" that needs to go — a practice, influence, or mindset that pulls you away from God. Take one concrete step this week to remove it.

PRAY THIS:

Lord, give me the courage to start the fight where You tell me, even if it's close to home and costs me something. Let my obedience to You be the loudest message I send to the watching world. Amen.

PLAY THIS:

"Christ Be Magnified."