Stages
Blue v2-11 Ch 7 JudThe Ball's in Blue's Court
Love Counteracts Fear
Hi.What cha' doin'?
v2 The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against Me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave...'"
(v9-11) ...the LORD said to Gideon... if you are afraid...go...listen to what they are saying...afterward you will be encouraged to attack.
Encouragement is one manifestation of love because it sends the message that says I believe in you and love always believes in the best for another (1 Cor 13 4:7).
Also, receiving encouragement is not limited to flowing only through Christians, as in case, these words came from the other side although it wasn't the other side that was knowingly sending the love. God still owns all people and His judgments are without partiality so whenever God is operating in His overall plan He will use Whoever-Whenever-Wherever to help somebody that He is dealing with that is at the stage of being ready to receive His help while His Plan is being fulfilled. So on one hand it is only God sending the love and simply using the vessel He wants but for that vessel that isn't serving God, they will be used because they are part of His creation but they won't get any credit for producing good fruit by walking in love because in fact they were walking in doubt & unbelief but God will even use someone else's doubt and unbelief to help you. Just remember that the bad stuff was also used to help God fulfill his plan when Jesus died on the cross for our sin. It was Goodness that revealed God had the Character to die but it was because of the darkness that He had. The deepest level of peace is when You are completely unafraid of what the darkness can do to you. Love is not afraid to lay down It's Life because never has Love been afraid of what you can take from It.
~After Gideon received encouragment to quiet his inner man, this act of love (encouragement) helped him overcome some of his fears for if he hadn't then he would have had to be one of the ones to turn back and go home.
Right on Gideon!
Thank You Jesus~
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