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DAILY BIBLE READING: JUDGES 7-8 LUKE 5:1-16 GIDEON DEFEATS MIDIANITES The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ 3Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’ ” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. 10If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” 16Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. 17“Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’ ” ZEBAH AND ZALMUNA GIDEON'S EPHOD Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” GIDEON'S DEATH JESUS CALLS HIS FIRST DISCIPLES When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him. JESUS HEALS A MAN WITH LEPROSY When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 13Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,”he said. “Be clean!”And immediately the leprosy left him. 14Then Jesus ordered him, “Don’t tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

ISAIAH 55:6-13 INVITATION TO THE THIRSTY Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.” 6Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 7Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 1so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 12You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 13Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.” INSIGHT Isaiah 55 begins with a divine invitation: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters” (v. 1). God will expound on this imagery of life-giving water in verses 10-11 as He compares His very words to His method of caring for creation: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, . . . so is my word that goes out from my mouth.” Precipitation brings life to the earth; God’s words give life to our spirits. Even in times of grief and doubt, God gives us His peace: “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace” (v. 12).

By: Tim Gustafson

TEARS AND HOPE Although it was Palm Sunday, a day to celebrate the triumphal entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, for Mary Edwar it became a time of deep pain. Leaving their church after the service, she and her husband, Kareem, were holding hands when a bomb went off. The device killed Kareem and injured Mary, causing her to miscarry.

While Mary recuperated, she felt furious while grieving for her husband and child. But somehow reading the Bible calmed “the volcano inside her.” In particular, when she struggled to comprehend why God allowed the atrocity, Isaiah 55:9 helped: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.” As she understood that God extends grace even when He’s dishonored, she felt soothed by His Spirit.

Mary considered Isaiah’s message from God to His wayward people. While calling them back to Himself, God sought to expand their understanding of His merciful character. Even as the heavens are “higher than” the earth, so were God’s ways “higher than” theirs (v. 9). So too will God show love and grace, more than they could imagine.

While grieving deeply, Mary was stunned to receive God’s gift of peace. She welcomed Jesus’ consoling love, which He poured out in the events that we mark during Holy Week. He’s eager to give us His peace too; we need only to look to Him.

By: Amy Boucher Pye

REFLECT AND PRAY How does reflecting on God’s loving nature help you? How have you found peace when reading the Bible?

Creator God, You cherish me. Even when I’m wracked with pain and doubt, you provide hope and love. In Jesus' name, Amen.

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN LIVE IN HIGH DEF When the disciples first heard Jesus say, “It is to your advantage that I go away,” I’m sure they had their doubts. In fact, I think they heard it much like a kid who is about to get a spanking hears their parent say, “This is going to hurt me more than it is going to hurt you!”

“Yeah, right! If that’s the case, I will GLADLY trade places.”

It makes sense. The disciples couldn’t imagine anything better than having Christ physically with them. After all, He’s God. Hungry? Feeds 5,000. Taxes due? Coins popping out of the mouths of fish. Friend dead? Not anymore…

How could the disciples make it without Jesus, let alone have it be an advantage to them for Him to leave? What the disciples didn’t understand was that when God came as a human, He accepted human limitations; like a Ferrari with a governor, He could only reach a tiny portion of His potential.

As a human, the disciples enjoyed Jesus’ company. But His plan all along was not to be with them, but in them. As a human, Jesus could only be in one place at one time. By sending God in Spirit, He would be with all believers simultaneously. As a human, the disciples would watch Jesus preach, minister, and serve. But now, they would see Him moving through their hands, mouths, and lips as they trusted Him to work through them.

It took a heavenly perspective to realize that the short-term loss was nothing compared to the long-term advantage.

Similarly, we at various times may sense God doing things that are not in our plans. Maybe it violates our comfort, our happiness, or our 5-year-plan. In those times, we must ask God to reveal what He’s doing and see how it will be used for the better.

Remember: God turns short-term loss into long-term advantage.