Yesterday we looked at how Gideon and Israel focused on what they gained from God’s help, blessing, in dealing with the Midianites. However, following the Lord for the wrong reason, or focusing on what He gives rather than Him, is not limited to the Old Testament. Spend some time reading through John 6 (here @ BibleGateway).
Note that in John 6:26 – 27 (here @ BibleGateway), Jesus rebukes those following Him because they were following for what they could get from Him, namely bread, rather than following Him to know Him.
All of us face this challenge. The 12 did as well. Look at John 6:59 – 71 (here @ BibleGateway). On the one hand all of us want to serve and obey Christ, to labor with and for Him in the harvest. On the other hand, the main thing is to seek Him and to know Him. We should not measure our walk with God by the effectiveness of our ministry, but on the quality of our relationship with Him.
Going back, full circle, to Gideon, look at Judges 8:33 – 35 (here @ BibleGateway). Before Gideon’s body was cool, Israel switched worship from the Ephod to Baal. It seems that focusing on the blessing that following and depending on God brings, can lead not only to following Him for the wrong reason, but it seemingly sets us up for even further idolatry. Perhaps it is a slippery slope.
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