Devotion: Shine

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:7)

What if the Lord spoke to you and said, “Hello! I want you to go into battle for me. Take these things with you: a horn, a clay pot, a torch and a shout. That’s it!”

Would your response be, “Bring it on! Your will is mine!”, or “A clay pot? Are you kidding me? Lord, I need some kind of weapon…please?”

God doesn’t kid. He gave Gideon and his warriors the unlikely ammo listed above (Judges 7:15-22). They were outnumbered by the Midianites, but they followed God’s orders. They blew their trumpets. They smashed the pots. They grabbed the torches from the shards and raised them high. They shouted “For the Lord…”

Imagine being awakened from a dead sleep to the noise of smashing pottery, horn blasts, flashing lights and loud shouting. Totally confused, the Midianites began to fight each other, and Gideon and his brave warriors defeated the entire army without the use of one weapon.

Why didn’t God just provide a bunch of spears? It would have been easy for Him to do. After all, nothing is impossible with God. That’s true, but the series of events that led to the Midianites’ defeat highlighted God’s power, not man’s power. Nothing is impossible with God after all.

In the United States alone, over 3,500 babies are killed daily in abortion procedures. Little lives denied a future. That’s so very sad. What can you and I do to stop the abortion madness?

We need to take action. We can’t afford to think, “Are you kidding? I’m just little old me.” Lives are at stake. We are in a war!

Our voices are the trumpets. We are the clay pots that need to be broken to let our God-light shine. We need to shout, “For the Lord! Stop abortion!” It is for His glory that the battle will be won, and lives will be saved. Nothing is impossible with God after all. Nothing. Choose life.

Your Prayer: Dear Father God, break my jar and help me shine. Guide me to speak the truth about how precious life is. I want to stand tall and proclaim with great love for all to hear, “This is for the Lord.” Amen.

A SONG FOR YOU: Banner of Love by Luminate

Published November 27, 2012

Related Resources

From Surviving to Thriving Back at School

This is the second devotion on the back to school year. Stress and social anxieties that accompany school experiences, but God is with us. He cares for us as our refuge and strength in trouble.

Starting Seasons Smoothly

This is the first devotion dedicated to transitioning back to a new school year. As we enter a new season, let’s embrace our new routines and live daily in God’s presence and providence.

The JOY of Living Love for Servant Events

This Bible study series reviews five scriptural stories of people who were called out of some particular place or situation by God and into service to Him and to others. This series was originally created to serve LCMS Servant Events during their week-long programming.

Heart of a Servant

In this six part Bible study and devotion series, we will look at what the a servant heart looks like. Explore how God is and makes us willing, prayerful, compassionate, brave, broken, and hopeful servants. This study was originally designed for 2018 LCMS Servant Events being held over a week.

Real. Present. God. for Servant Events

Real. Present. God. is a six session study with parallel devotions that takes passages from the book of Psalms, full of material about our God’s power and presence.