RESTRICTED CIRCUMSTANCES PRODUCING FRUIT

Judges 6:11, 15,16 (to “I will certainly be with thee”); 8:18

I have been thinking about what we said about Colossians 1 on Lord’s day, and this scripture has just come to me, brethren, while we have been sitting here. It links with “translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love” (v.13), and also with what our brother has said about our relations with God, and results that have been brought about for God from restriction.

This scripture in Judges came before me because Gideon was certainly working in restricted circumstances. I do not know much about a winepress but I do know a little bit about threshing wheat. I am quite sure that the winepress represents restricted circumstances, but Gideon was there because he was securing food from the Midianites to feed the people of God. If we are working, despite restricted conditions, to encourage and strengthen our fellow believers, then there will not only be something secured to encourage them, but also to bring about an increase in the service of worship and praise to divine Persons. Gideon did not feel that he was able for what God would have him do. He said, “My thousand is the poorest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house”. God is not limited by the circumstances in which we are, but He looks upon the Lord Jesus whom He has used to bring believers into His thoughts in purpose, into the wonder of what we spoke about on Lord’s day – “into the kingdom of the Son of his love”. Whatever the circumstances might be, the divine goal is to bring us practically into that kingdom.

If there is a kingdom, there must be subjects for it; I think we see the subjects in chapter 8. There were those of Gideon’s family of whom it was said, “As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the sons of a king”. What a wonderful commendation, you might say, when persons are able to see that believers, and we among them, are like Christ.

It is just a simple thought, brethren, and it came to me from what we have had brought before us. Our relations with the Lord Jesus, relations with the Spirit, relations with the Father – in whatever circumstances we might be, those relationships are to produce what would feed and encourage our fellow believers to increase in response to God, and to be a testimony for Christ here.

May we be encouraged, for His name’s sake.

Given in a meeting for ministry, Calgary

Keith Drever

6 October 2021

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