Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian." But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you." We should never be too caught up in any accolades that come our way. We must always remember where our gifts, abilities, intellect, and accomplishments come from, and that is only through the Hand of God. God has given you everything you have. And when it comes to people's lives, in no way do you want to rule over anybody. You just don't want to do that. You want to be in a place where you can say, "The Lord rules over me." There are a lot of congregations that are ruled over by the elders and ruled over by the pastor. You belong to God. And I, as a pastor, don't want my fingerprints on any of the people that I serve. If you're a wolf, I'll be the first one to usher you out the door. If you're a wounded lamb, I'll do my best to pick you up, give you a hug, pat you on the back, and turn you over to the right person to help you. But as a pastor I will not rule you. The Lord is your ruler. Don't ever let a man rule over you; submit and be obedient to authority (1 Peter 2:18), but don't allow anyone but God to rule in your heart. Man demands, takes authority, and gets prideful--God doesn't! His ways are gentle and full of peace. The people of Israel marveled at Gideon's power, but didn't have the spiritual sense to realize that it was God who allowed Gideon to succeed in battle. Had they realized this, maybe they would have worshiped God and asked Him to rule over them instead. Starting today, let God rule in you. Confess those things in your life that you've been holding on to and controlling. Let His gentle authority direct your ways. "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful" (Colossians 3:15).
Today's Devotion
From Mike MacIntosh
Judges 8:22-23
MikeMacIntosh: God has given you everything you have.
