July 15, 2013 … Finding Our Wings

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 196

Passage of the Day #1: Gideon 6: 12 [“Mighty warrior”] [NLT] …  
12 The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!”  

Contextual Study involving today’s passage found in Judges, Chapter 6 … Go to this link …
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Reference Passage of the Day #1: Philippians 4: 13 [True; but do we believe it?] …  
13 I can do all things through Christ, Who gives me the strength.

Reference Passage of the Day #2: Ephesians 6: 17 [Me? Who could have known; – God did!] …  
17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 

Devotional Song: Go to this link   … Today, please take the time to hear Mark Harris, singing, “Find Your Wings” encouraging us to become all that God intended us to become in His Name and for His glory.

My Journal for Today: Don’tcha just love the true story of Gideon, … the “scardicat” young man, hiding in a wine-barrel from the mean old Midianites, … the man who was visited by an angel of God, who greeted Gideon by calling him a “mighty hero” (or “warrior”). That’s what God saw in Gideon; and from the story in Judges, Chapter 6 (linked above for your study), that’s who Gideon became. But did Gideon see himself as a “mighty warrior” when God’s angel came to him? Of course not!

It is often the case that God sees in us far more in and for us than we see in ourselves. Forty years ago, I could never have seen myself as “Rev. Bill Berry,” Director of a ministry on the front lines of spiritual warfare (see this link – http://battleplanministries.org ); because at that time I was a self-proclaimed “agnostic,” … one who even denied the presence of God, let alone think of myself as an ordained Christian minister. But like a Gideon, God saw more in my name and personhood WAY more than I did. … BTW, my name “William” actually means helmeted warrior, which certainly fits now that I know that I’m wearing God’s “helmet of salvation” and carrying his sword of the Spirit into battle each day [see Eph. 6: 17 above].

Forty years ago, though, I was in head-long pursuit of obsessive/compulsive sexual sin and denied that God even existed to thwart my sinful lifestyle. But God had other designs on this “William;” … one day to become HIS warrior, wearing HIS helmet, and carrying HIS sword into battle, which I wield each day, blogging from His word and for God’s glory in this place.

Do you have a child or grandchild for whom you’re praying that they become far more than they can see themselves becoming now? Do you pray the prayer of Mark Harris’ song for this child? Please, take the time to hear Harris sing, Find Your Wings to which I’ve linked you above.

The verse from God’s word which God used to draw me onto His road of transformation was Philippians 4: 13, which is above but you may well have memorized. And that is my prayer this morning for you … that you can loudly declare that commitment of faith to your Lord. Oh how I will pray for all of us that we’ve found our wings and are soaring like eagles to become all God sees in us and intends for us to become in His Name and for His glory.

My Prayer for Today … Oh, Lord, I pray that all who read here today are flying as high as You intend for us to fly, … becoming all You see in us and You know we can become for Your glory. … Amen