Moving as God Instructs for the More Glorious Prizes Ahead

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

After you have prayed, stop delaying yourself from the wonderful gifts of God by simply doing as God instructs.

Introduction

After we’ve prayed, God’s desire is for us to keep moving.  Now, what’s important about our movement after we pray is how we move.  We must not move as we see fit, but rather, we ought to move as God instructs.  Should one move without discipline, as James said, they ought not think they will have great success.

Trust in What God Promises

We are going to pick back up with Gideon’s story in this week’s sermon.  You will recall that the Lord had promised Gideon that He would be with him, and that Gideon would defeat the Midianites as one man (Judg. 6:16).

Upon being assured of success by the Lord, we ought to move with confidence and great faith.  I say this with the mind to tell you that God has already both promised and assured us of great success.

Jesus promised that if we abide in Him, and His word abides in us, we will ask what we desire and it will be done (John 15:8).  Jesus also promised us that while we will have tribulation in the world, in Him, we will overcome (John 16:33).  Lastly, Jesus promised that should we believe in Him, we will not perish, but will have everlasting life (John 3:16).

You and I have been promised great success by the Lord our God who is faithful.  Yet, we must keep in mind that the more glorious prizes that have been promised to us cannot be enjoyed without our faithfulness.  So, we must keep in mind that success will only come through our discipline and obedience to God’s instructions.

Undisciplined Action is Not Faith

With this in mind, I want to share with you Gideon’s actions after he had been assured success by God.  

The delay of fear and doubt

In Judges 6:25-26, God instructed Gideon to take down his father’s altar to Baal and build an altar to the Lord.  Rather than waking up in the morning and immediately doing as the Lord had instructed, Judges 6:27 tells us that Gideon waited until it was night.  We are told that Gideon waited to move until it was night because he feared how his father’s household and the men of the city would respond.

Now, some of us may not see anything wrong with Gideon’s actions, but I tell you that there was a problem.  Although Gideon did as God instructed, he delayed his actions because of his fear.  Even more concerning is that he feared his father’s household and the men of the city more than he did God.  You see, had Gideon feared the repercussions of not doing as God had instructed, he would have moved right away.

In Judges 6:36-40, Gideon sought for God to prove that success would come his way, even after God had assured his victory.  Gideon said to God, “I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.”

Many of us do this same thing even though God has assured us success.  We will say to God, “Show me a sign, and I will believe.”  Does this sound like faith to you?  Faith should be confident in God and move.

The first morning Gideon woke up, the fleece and everything else was wet with much dew.  Gideon then pleaded a second time for the Lord to prove Himself.  The second morning, the fleece was dry while everything around it was wet.  Yes, God showed Gideon a sign, but I want to point out the delay.  Success was being delayed because of shaken and undisciplined faith.

The danger of shaken faith

Is it faith or fear and doubt that is moving us today?  Personally, I believe that many who profess to be of faith aren’t moving by faith today – they move by fear.

Faith leads one to live by the word of God.  Yet, many today are moving outside of what God instructs, moving by a twisted and corrupt doctrine.  Rather than loving our neighbors, we live in a land where believers segregate themselves to loving those they choose.  Rather than lifting up neighbors, we live in a land where believers tear down those who aren’t like them.

Faith moves with confidence.  Doubt, on the other hand, has many of us not moving at all.  You see, some of us are waiting for a sign from God so that we can move.  Others are playing games with God, seeking for Him to prove Himself, rather than moving by faith.  Such faith is not only undisciplined, it can lead to dead faith from which nothing comes.

Proverbs 5:23 warns us that one who lacks discipline will either go astray in the greatness of their folly, or will one perish.  I believe that we’re at this place now in this land where undisciplined faith is tearing this place apart, rather than bringing about success.

For us to have success and enjoy the more glorious prizes of God, we must truly understand that it will take great discipline.  So, we must be more disciplined in how we move in our faith, especially after we have prayed to God.

Help With Being More Disciplined

Now, I imagine that all of you understand that it will take more discipline to move as God instructs.  I imagine that all of you are, or will, put forth your best effort to be more disciplined as well.  Yet, there is a harsh truth that I must address when it comes to our will to be more disciplined in our faith.  It is going to take more than our willpower for us to move with great discipline for the more glorious prizes of the Lord.

This is a thought that reminds me of what Paul said in Romans 7:14-25.  Paul spoke of his desire, his will, to live with the utmost obedience.  Yet, Paul spoke of his inner struggle to move with the discipline necessary.  Paul essentially expressed, ‘My soul is willing but my flesh is weak.’  He understood and was grateful that he had help to be more disciplined in his walk of faith.

I imagine that all of us, like Paul, have the greatest of desires to live with the utmost discipline in our faith.  Yet, as I preached earlier this year, our faith is under fire today, being tested at every turn.  We are constantly tempted to act out in a manner that would be unbecoming of a child of God.  

So, for us to move with the discipline necessary for us to have greater success, we need help.  Thankfully, God is willing to help be more disciplined so that we can enjoy His more glorious prizes.  Let me share with you how the Lord will help you in being more disciplined in your walk of faith.

How God helps us overcome fear

In Judges 6:33, scripture tells us about how the Midianites and Amalekits had come together and shifted their position against Israel; they were making their preparation to raid the land.  You can imagine, a man who had hid from the Midianites, as Gideon had done, was probably trembling at that moment.  Many of us are the same way when challenges approach us, even though we have been assured success.

Judges 6:34 tells us that the Spirit of God came upon Gideon in that moment, and Gideon took his horn and sounded it for the people to come together.  Gideon, taking his horn and blowing into it, was a sign of Gideon becoming confident – he was ready to go to battle!

You see, God had to overcome Gideon’s fear, and to do so, He gave Gideon His Spirit.  You see, in the Lord, there is no fear!  Who would God be afraid of?  God is the Sovereign Ruler over all of His Creation.  There is nobody who can challenge His power and authority.

Even more, as the Creator and Sovereign, God knows the way that leads to success because He sets the path to it.  Should we ever question God’s wisdom and way?  Absolutely not!

God overcomes our fear in the same way that He overcame Gideon’s fear– He has given us His Spirit.  Yes, all who are of sincere faith receive the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit breathes confidence and life into us by showing us the path to success.  Let us keep in mind that the role of the Spirit is to guide us into all truth (John 16:13).

By guiding us into all truth, the Holy Spirit takes away the two leading factors that empower our fear– He takes away confusion and a lack of understanding.  When the path to success is clear, with all paths of error taken away, one can walk that path in full confidence.  So, as Paul said, we haven’t been given a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.

How God increases our wisdom

After the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, God was not through helping him gain the necessary discipline for greater success.

As Gideon moved his forces into position, we will see that the Lord had more instructions for Gideon.  God said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands (Judg. 7:2).”  God saw that the people would glorify themselves, rather than Him, in victory because of their large numbers.

So, the Lord instructed Gideon to tell those who were fearful and afraid to depart, and over 22,000 men departed (Judg. 7:3).  With 10,000 men remaining, God then said to Gideon, again, “The people are still too many” (Judg. 7:4).  So, the Lord, once again, subtracted Gideon’s forces until the number was 300 (Judg. 7:5-7).

We can imagine that Gideon’s confidence had probably sunk, seeing his forces shrink down to such a small number.  How many of us are familiar with discipline through subtraction?  For example, when you want to seriously focus on something, you may put your phone on ‘do not disturb’, right?

The discipline that is necessary for God’s more glorious prizes requires a great deal of discipline.  So, God will remove anything that may distract us from being successful.  

Like Gideon, the Lord tells us to lay aside our wisdom for His wisdom.  This is a great problem that many of us face as many of us think we know best.  God does not need us moving in a manner where we will speak, saying, ‘Look at what I did’.  Sure, we may experience some success doing things our way, but such success is less in comparison to what God can give.

What is our wisdom in comparison to God’s?  God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours– again, He knows the way that is right.  Proverbs 14:12 tells us that there is a way that seems right to a man but it is a way of death.  We desire success, not death, don’t we?

As we saw with Gideon, God will also instruct us to remove company that is unhealthy and unhelpful, and we cannot be afraid to lose company.  Proverbs 14:7 tells us to go from the presence of a foolish man, as the fool is one who despises God’s wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 22:24-25 tells us not to make friends with an angry or furious man.  Let us keep in mind what James said, “The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God (Jas. 1:20).”  Being around those who are wrathful will do nothing but corrupt your spirit, making you bitter and wrathful.

This reminds of what Paul told the Corinthian believers, when he said, “Evil company corrupts good habits (1 Cor. 15:33).”  When God is removing such company from us, we ought to be grateful!  The reason why is because God is getting us prepared for something greater!

God’s Ever-Loving Patience

Now, as we will see with Gideon’s story, the more we continue to heed God’s instructions, after we pray, God will put us in position for His greater prizes.

In Judges 7:9, the Lord told Gideon to arise as He had delivered the Midianites and Amalekites into his hands.  There is always a moment when the Lord will tell and show us that success is ours and it’s time to move.  Some of us will move immediately, full of faith, while others may still be a bit hesitant to move.

God knew that Gideon would still be hesitant to move.  Now, I want us to pay attention to what God does at this moment.  The Lord said to Gideon, “If you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant, and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp (Judg. 7:10-11).”

Was God frustrated with Gideon’s reluctance?  The Lord was patient with Gideon.  I want to point out that God had not taken away Gideon’s victory, as Gideon had still been faithfully moving this whole time.

I wanted to point this out to you because you might be someone who isn’t as quick to move as others.  Hesitation is quite common among many believers, so don’t be ashamed if you don’t move with the swiftness of others.  The race, I will remind you, isn’t to the swift, so move at your pace.  As God was patient with Gideon, the Lord is, and will be, patient with you.

So, Judges 7:13-14 shows us that Gideon took his servant and managed to get to the outskirts of the Midianite camp.  There, he heard one man telling another about a dream that was interpreted to be about Gideon bringing down the Midianites.  

Hearing these two men talk filled Gideon’s confidence as he immediately worshiped the Lord.  Gideon returned to his people and said to them, “Arise, for the Lord has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand (Judg. 7:15).”  And with that, Gideon would go on to lead Israel to victory over Midian and the Amalekites. 

Be Fully Confident and Move

God’s ever-longing patience will end with all of us being filled with great confidence to move.  When we move with discipline and confidence, it can help to inspire all of those around us to do the same.

So, I encourage you today to be fully confident that God will lift you up and lead you to success.  God has said, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (Is. 41:10).” 

You see, God wants you to succeed.  You must believe that and have faith that success is yours to have.  Admittedly, success will not come quickly.  The more glorious prize will require great faith where we pray and move with great discipline, heeding God’s every word.  Yet, if we do all of these things, the more glorious prize will be ours.