Keys to our next victory

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How easy it is to surrender spiritual victories! Did you know that once we have won a spiritual battle, it is not over? In many ways, once the battle is over, a new test begins.

I am reminded of a great battle that Gideon won for the Israelites. It was so great they wanted to make him king. They begged him to rule over them because "he saved them." (Judges 8:22) Gideon passed his first test, answered rightly and said, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you.” (Judges 8:23b ESV)

So far so good. What he does next  is a very human thing to do. He commemorates the event.  Gideon asks them for all the gold that was taken in battle and he made an ephod from it. Though we don't know his motivation, there is really nothing wrong yet...an ephod is simply the garment the high priests wear. His next step is where he trips up and takes Israel with him.

There is some discussion whether the ephod was only the ephod itself or a gold idol wearing the ephod. Either way, Gideon sins and leads Israel into sin. Scripture says, "And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family" (Judges 8:27 ESV)

Realize brothers and sisters, we are always being observed - and when we fall into sin,  our sins can lead others into sin as well. Often the very people we care most and want to protect are the ones entangled with us.

How often do we find ourselves in the same position as Gideon? We are powerless in a situation. We are humbled. We cry out to God and the Lord gives us a victory. We do well at first. We give God glory and maybe even commemorate the event somehow. But then, do we take the glory from God? All to often we can find ourselves worshipping the blessing instead of the Blessor. 

Or maybe God's movement in our lives fades into the back of our minds and we begin to believe it was because of our strength or intellect. We slowly begin to reshape history in our mind and little by little take the credit from the LORD.

This is human nature. God knowing His people well, warned Israel of this very thing: 

And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Take care lest you forget the LORD your God..., lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,...... Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 8:10-19 ESV)

The Bible teaches that, "whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4b NASB)

Let us learn from the past. Our next victory begins with realizing the test continues long after the battle has been won.