ARTICLES

Trumpets, Pitchers and Torches

by Mari Anne Andersen

Do you have a situation in life where you desperately need to see victory? Do you feel you're groping around in the darkness longing to know that all will be well? Do you feel impoverished emotionally, physically, spiritually or financially? That the enemy has the upper hand in your life, that things are swarming around you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, dear friends, I pray that through the power of His Spirit, He will place in your hand a TRUMPET, a PITCHER, and a TORCH.

For Gideon and the Israelites (Judges 6 - 8), their hour was dark and desperate, and it was a time when the enemy was ruling over them. Their country was continually invaded for seven long years: their land was literally stripped bare of crops and animals. They were overwhelmed by an enemy too great for them to defeat. Granted, the Israelites had problems with sin and their stubborn, stiff-necked ways. They were only reaping what they had sown, continuously living in a state of distress because they did not want to adhere, submit, or surrender to their only true God - they did it their way and bore very bad fruit.

Gideon was hiding in a dark winepress, feeling fear, and always looking over his shoulder, threshing wheat in secret to protect it and himself from the Midianites. How has the enemy kept you in the dark winepress of your life through sinful self protections? Do you feel you have places in your life where you are a coward or compromising truth by hiding?

The love of our Father God came to Gideon even in his state of cowardice. The Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of (fearless) courage." And Gideon said to him, "O sir, if the Lord is with us, why is all this befallen us? And where are all His wondrous works?"

The Lord turned to him, and said, "GO in this your might, and YOU SHALL save Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?" Gideon said to Him, "Oh, Lord, HOW can I deliver Israel? I am poor and I am the least in my father's house." (Judges 6:12-15)

This actually reminds me of Moses when God appeared to him on Mount Sinai and said to him, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him to let my people go." Moses refused four times because of feelings of fear, unbelief, and insignificance, as well as feeling "dumb." He said, "O Lord, I am not eloquent or a man of words. For I am slow of speech, and have a heavy and awkward tongue." Ex. 4:10

How many of us refuse God, His encounters, as well as His love and power to defeat the enemies of our lives, because we feel insignificant, unimportant, or full of shame?

May we take up our trumpet, pitcher, and torch to defeat the enemy in those areas where he has stolen from us and improvised us. RISE UP YOU MIGHTY VALIANT WARRIOR - and know that "I will surely be with YOU, and YOU shall smite the enemy down as one man."

That is good news - because God is calling you to enlist in His army and it only takes one - YOU, to respond to His call.

The Israelites were saved from their oppression when they cried out to the one true God for help. God gave very specific instructions to fight this overwhelming enemy and it came down to merely 300 men, each carrying just a trumpet, pitcher, and torch - that's all it took - and one more important thing  - OBEDIENCE.

A trumpet is used to herald important news - to warn of impending danger. Sound your trumpet and let it be heard all through the enemy's camp that you are coming to take back your land, to take back what the enemy has stolen. This is the trumpet of decision to deal with our problems.

The pitcher was to create a great distraction, to be smashed and pulverized into many pieces - all were to do it at the same time creating great waves of thunder to accomplish confusion in the camp. What do you need to smash into pieces? What habitual structure do you have that needs to be pulverized?

The torch represented His Light - to be personified into the darkness of sin and evil. With the torch of light in our hands we are no longer hidden in the dark places of our shame, pain, and sin. Father God will help us as we hold the torch, to overcome our weakness. For in Him there is NO darkness.

And then as in Judges 7:12,  "they each STOOD in their place." God is saying to each of us, "Do not back away, do not sit down, but stand, remain in, and maintain YOUR position to face your enemy, your giant." Be pro-active in His army and YOU can see your deliverance at hand.

Gideon and his men stood blowing their trumpets, dropping their pitchers, waving their torches and shouting, "The sword for the Lord!"

My prayer for each one of us is that we can rise up like Gideon and encounter our Lord, that we will be filled with courage, having ears to hear the Lord, even if it is seemingly ridiculous, to have a fearless heart to advance into those areas of our lives that keep us in poverty. Grab hold of your trumpet, pitcher, and torch, and let's go!