Giving thanks in the fight and in the familiar.

This week we see Gideon step up, step out, and take a bold stand, even if that meant he had to stand alone. Before God could use him to deliver the Israelites out of the hands of their enemies, Gideon had to take a bold stand for God. Gideon had to declare his allegiance and "bend the knee" to the one true God of Israel. In the end, this is a question we must each wrestle with each and every day. Who are we going to serve? Who are we going to listen to? Who are we going to trust and obey? Are we going to bend the knee to the world, to culture, to popular opinion, to comfort & safety OR are we going to bend the knee to God?

we began a new series in the life of the Old Testament character Gideon. We didn't actually get to the life of Gideon just yet, but looked at the circumstances which lead up to Gideon's life. Gideon lived during the time of the Judges, what you could call the Dark Ages of the Old Testament. This period of time that was after Moses, after Joshua, but before David when God sent "Judges", Avengers, Deliverers to save his people out of the hands of their enemies. Before they entered the Promised Land, God was abundantly clear. God set before them life and death, blessings and curses. Follow God, love God, honor God, worship God and God will give you life. God will bless you. If you fail to follow God, love God, honor God, worship God, and begin worshiping the false gods of the people around you, God will not bless you. God will not protect you. As Galatians 6:7 states, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." Once in the land, Joshua declared in Joshua 24:15 = "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Each of us have a choice to make. As parents, we each have a decision to make. Who will we serve, love, follow, obey, listen to, cling to, worship, honor? Will we lead our families, our spouses, our households, those entrusted to our leadership, towards God or away from God? Will we boldly declare as Joshua did, "as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!"

We find meaning in every day when we look at our lives through the lens of what God wants to do through us.

What was the final domino in the chain of events leading to Jesus' crucifixion? The reality is Jesus laying down his life as God's "Passover lamb", paying our debt for sin, was God's will, God's plan from the beginning of time. This was the only way that we could be saved, rescued, redeemed from death to life. Like Dr. Strange in Avengers: Infinity War seeing 14,000,605 possible outcomes, potential futures, and only one resulting in the Avengers being victorious and defeating Thanos, so Jesus saw all of the possible outcomes, all potential futures, and knew there was only one way for us to be saved. Jesus is the only way to the Father. Ultimately the final domino in the chain of events leading to Jesus' crucifixion is you! Your future was on the line, and Jesus was willing to complete God's plan for your salvation!