Morning, September 20

Charles Spurgeon · Morning and Evening: Daily Readings

"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 forever
   and ever.