Pastor Bob DuPar
April 28, 2008

Journal Entry


Scripture

Judges 8:18-9:21; Luke 23:44-24:12; Psalm 99:1-9; Proverbs 14:9-10.

Observation

Judges 8:27 is alarming. Gideon collects 1700 shekels of gold (not counting ornaments & pendants). 1700 shekels is about 43 pounds. So, with gold at $1,000 an ounce – that’s $688,000 in today’s economy. And, he fashions the gold into an ephod, an outer garment worn by the priests. But, no one wears it. Instead it gets put on display in the middle of town and people “prostituted themselves by worshipping it there; and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.”

What a sad lesson on how blessings can quickly become a curse if used improperly. And, the fact that Gideon’s son, Abimelech, was so power-hungry that he did not mind mowing down his seventy brothers to reign over the people, is a testimony to the consequences of this idolatry - not to mention Gideon’s polygamy and resulting huge family which was dysfunctional and anything but close.

Finally, Proverbs 14:9 spoke to me:

“Fools mock at making amends for sin…”

Application

The daily decisions and choices we make which seem small and insignificant can be compared to a ship at sea, just a few degrees off course. A few degrees off now, in the present, translates into real trouble down the road. This is my application with Gideon. I’m increasingly impressed not just by a leader’s impact and accomplishments while living, but also their legacy after they are gone. Do their children follow the Lord? Are there any lasting (visible) results of their achievements? Did they hand-off the baton to other leaders? Did they groom future leaders?

Prayer

“God, grant me the wisdom to see things long term – to have an eternal perspective. Help me to influence and bring about lasting change. May the people I invest in today become the leaders of tomorrow.”