Spurgeon: September AM
* 09/20/AM
"The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon."
--Judges 7:20
Gideon ordered his men to do two things: covering up a torch
in an earthen pitcher, he bade them, at an appointed signal,
break the pitcher and let the light shine, and then sound with
the trumpet, crying, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon! the
sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" This is precisely what all
Christians must do. First, you must shine ; break the pitcher
which conceals your light; throw aside the bushel which has been
hiding your candle, and shine. Let your light shine before men;
let your good works be such, that when men look upon you, they
shall know that you have been with Jesus. Then there must be
the sound , the blowing of the trumpet. There must be active
exertions for the ingathering of sinners by proclaiming Christ
crucified. Take the gospel to them; carry it to their door; put
it in their way; do not suffer them to escape it; blow the
trumpet right against their ears. Remember that the true war-cry
of the Church is Gideon's watchword, " The sword of the Lord ,
and of Gideon!" God must do it, it is His own work. But we are
not to be idle; instrumentality is to be used--"The sword of the
Lord, and of Gideon !" If we only cry, "The sword of the Lord!"
we shall be guilty of an idle presumption; and if we shout, "The
sword of Gideon!" alone, we shall manifest idolatrous reliance
on an arm of flesh: we must blend the two in practical harmony,
"The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!" We can do nothing of
ourselves, but we can do everything by the help of our God; let
us, therefore, in His name determine to go out personally and
serve with our flaming torch of holy example, and with our
trumpet tones of earnest declaration and testimony, and God
shall be with us, and Midian shall be put to confusion, and the
Lord of hosts shall reign for ever and ever.