Maybe you have been called by God and in response, you said—

• Yes, LORD, I surrender my will and ask You to come into my heart and save me.
• Yes, LORD, I desire to be used by You, to do Your work as You lead.
• Yes, LORD, I ask for Your guidance as I raise my children, as I live my life.
• Yes, LORD, I seek Your will for both my days and my remaining years.
• Yes, LORD, I will serve You with my talents.

Maybe you have been called by God and in response, you said—

• But LORD, do not ask me to do ___________________________ (that).
• But LORD, do not ask me to go ___________________________ (there).
• But LORD, do not ask me to speak to _______________________ (him).
• But LORD, do not ask me to give up _______________________ (that which I love).
• But LORD, an opposite, an oxymoron if ever there was one.

LORD & “but” are truly strange bedfellows & do not & cannot remain together.

They are total opposites.

• They scream to the world, “I belong to God sometimes “but” not ALL TIMES.”
• They proclaim to those watching, “I belong to God & He is my LORD “but” only when I want Him to be.”

These two words (a small but & a super-sized LORD) carry much weight in our daily witness as we testify to the lost world.

In reading the Old Testament about a man named Gideon,

• a man who felt insignificant in the world in which he lived,
• a man who lived in a world terrorized by the Midianites, and
• a man who dwelt in a world where he was so afraid to thresh wheat that he hid in the winepress threshing his wheat instead of threshing the wheat on the raised threshing floor

—that Gideon—

Was called by God to a mighty work!

• God sent an angel into the winepress to tell Gideon to save God’s people from the ravaging Midianites.

“And the angel of the LORD appeared to him [appeared to Gideon right where Gideon was working] and said to him, “The LORD is with you, valiant warrior.” (Judges 6: 12 NASB)

• Gideon could not understand “why him?”

“Then Gideon said to him, [to the angel of the LORD] “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us?  And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did the LORD not bring us up from Egypt?’

But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” (Judges 6: 13 NASB)

• The LORD does not look at our excuses;  the LORD accomplishes His will & then equips us to accomplish His will within His strength.

“And the LORD looked at him [at Gideon threshing his wheat down in the dark confines of the winepress] and said, “Go in this strength of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian.  Have I not sent you?” (Judges 6: 14 NASB)

• Gideon did not feel courageous or powerful.

“But he said to Him [Gideon said to Almighty God], “O Lord, how am I to save Israel?  Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.” (Judges 6: 15 NASB)

• So, God assured Gideon.

“Yet the LORD said to him, [said to the one who felt inadequately qualified to do the LORD’S work] “I will certainly be with you, and you will defeat Midian as one man.” (Judges 6: 16 NASB)

Fear is contagious & shuts the door to God’s grace.

HOWEVER, ONE (1) SOLITARY BELIEVER & GOD IS A MAJORITY!

• God calls us to a life of eternal significance.
• God created us for a destiny that draws the lost to Him.
• God calls us to a life that matters.
• God works out His perfect plan.

Yet, in order to live a life that matters, we need courage, and courage comes to us when we spend time in the presence of God.

• Individual Bible study
• Quiet Prayer time
• Daily Meditation on His Word
• Time shared with other believers who encourage us in our faith-walk

Here are some items that we Must Always Remember—

• Let us Always Remember—We belong to God ALWAYS Once He Saves Our Soul!
• Let us Always Remember—We are warriors within God’s Army!
• Let us Always Remember—We must put on the Armor of God Every Day!
• Let us Always Remember—We do not fight against mankind but against the evil force of Satan!
• Let us Always Remember—God Calls Us to Live a Life That Matters!
• Let us Always Remember—ONE (1) SOLITARY BELIEVER & GOD IS A MAJORITY!