In Touch Devotional 9th October 2024, By Charles Stanley, Wednesday Message
TOPIC: God’s Encouragement in Tough Times
SCRIPTURE: Judges 7:9-25
Yesterday, we read about how God reduced Gideon’s army from 32,000 men to just 300 before an important battle. Let’s see what happened next.
Naturally, Gideon was anxious. He was about to attack an enemy camp of more than 130,000 trained soldiers—with just a handful of men. Out of kindness, God gave Gideon some encouragement by allowing him to overhear an enemy soldier recounting a frightful dream: a vision of Israelite victory (Judg. 7:13-14)! God used that incident to demonstrate His sensitivity to one man’s feelings and fears. And He still operates that way today.
Consider the power of a friend’s encouraging words. Think about how meaningful it is when an unexpected blessing seems to come right at your darkest moment. Ponder the impact of reading a verse when you most need it. These are not “happy accidents.” They are precious confidence builders from God. He sees your doubts and takes steps towards weakening their hold on you.
Our challenge is to remember the times in the past when God has encouraged us. Standing on the evidence of His faithfulness, we can boldly face the future, knowing that we are not alone.
Bible in One Year: Matthew 19-21
Thought for today: God kindly sends the encouragement we need in moments of fear and doubt.
Dr. Charles Stanley, the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries, both located in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Stanley’s heart’s desire is to get the gospel to “as many people as possible, as quickly as possible, as clearly as possible, as irresistibly as possible, through the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God.