Today's Devotion
From Mike MacIntosh
Now the men of Ephraim said to him, "Why have you done this to us by not calling us when you went to fight with the Midianites?" And they reprimanded him sharply. So he said to them, "What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you?" Then their anger toward him subsided when he said that.
Judges 8:1-3
Gideon had just defeated thousands of enemy warriors, but now found that he was having trouble with some of the people of Israel--the Ephraimites--who didn't go to battle with him. The people of Ephraim were a proud group (look at the book of Joshua for more of the story). And God, in His wonderful and perfect discernment, knew that if the people of Ephraim took part in the battle, they would have taken the credit for winning it. Certainly they would have boasted to the rest of the world that they were more superior and that they, alone, defeated the enemy. God wouldn't have that, so He used 300 farmers.
The Ephraimites were angry, for sure, but notice how Gideon responded. Very humbly, he told them that he had little compared to the wealth of their vineyards. And with so much wealth already, what good would it do them to want to engage in a battle that was given to them in the end anyways?
I see much wisdom in Gideon's response. Sure, he could have really hauled off on them in anger and told them a thing or two about how God works, and how selfish and prideful they had become. But he didn't. Instead, Gideon chose wisdom and gentleness, not anger. And what a great lesson for us as well. How many times do we lash out at people? How often do we choose to let our anger get the best of us instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to gently calm the situation?
I bet there's someone in your life today that you've hurt badly with your words. Take time today and make that right. Ask for forgiveness from someone you've hurt. Don't let anger and retaliation get the best of you. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you can gently restore broken relationships.
"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1).
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