No Guts, No Glory
Today’s Verse:
But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab. ~Judges 3:15
One of our most inspirational phrases we use when a new endeavor or opportunity is presented to us is, “No guts, no glory.” This means you must exercise courage and take on some risk in order to succeed. It means you must give all of yourself without reservation in accomplishing a task, no matter what difficulties or risks stand in the way. This morning, we are inspired by a man named Ehud who embodies this motto.
We see an oppressive ADVERSARY.
Israel fell back into gross sins of idolatry. As a result, God allowed them to be oppressed by a Moabite king named Eglon. Eglon was tyrannical. He oppressed Israel for 18 years. Physically, he is described as a grossly overweight man. He is a picture of the power of sin over our life. Sin overpowers us and makes us a slave to its desires. Sin distorts us when we are under its power. Sin can lead to grotesque behavior. Sin ages a person. When sin controls us, we too are controlled by appetite and only want to satisfy those desires. Think of the person who is under addictive behavior and substances. God allowed Eglon to oppress Israel so that they would realize how terrible their sins were.
We see an obvious ATTRIBUTE.
God raised up Ehud as a deliverer and judge. He was the hero of that day for them. His most obvious physical trait was that he was left-handed. In those days, being left-handed was considered a weakness, and a possibility that the person was disabled in the right hand. Left-handed people were ill-treated in those days. This description may have caused some people to question why God chose Ehud. God is more attracted to our weaknesses than to our strengths. Most often, God is more intent to use the weak, the helpless, and those whose utter dependence is upon Him alone for help. What weakness do you have that God can work through? Are you letting your weakness be an excuse for not letting God use you?
We see an obedient ADVOCATE.
Ehud accepted the call of God on his life. It is not clear if all of the Israelites were excited that Ehud was elected to be their deliverer, but the people sent him to bring a present to Eglon anyway. We see how Ehud would be used of God as an obedient man. First, he was willing to go without excuse. Most people have a difficult time serving the Lord because they do not go willingly. They have conditions and stipulations they impose on God. Second, he devised a plan to bring a sharp two-edged dagger with him. He decided he would have “a secret weapon” in his possession. Our secret weapon against the enemy is God’s Word, which is a sharp two-edged sword. Third, he was willing to go alone. He was so cognizant of God being his helper that he did not fear going alone. Fourth, he went with great faith in God and a strategy that would take the enemy out without any interference. In all of this, we see an underlying trait: Ehud was obedient to his commission.
We see an overwhelming ACCOMPLISHMENT.
When Ehud entered into Eglon’s presence, he told Eglon that he had a message from God for him. Ehud took his two-edged dagger from his right thigh with his left hand, and thrust it all the way into this big man’s belly. His thrust was so hard that Eglon’s guts fell out and he died. Ehud left quietly, and made his way back to his people. The people quickly saw that Ehud accomplished his task, and they followed him to battle and victory. The key thought here is that Ehud allowed the Lord to use his weakness to overcome a terrible enemy. The Bible says Ehud and the people subdued the Moabites. No guts, no glory!
Let your weakness be an opportunity for God to work through you to conquer the Eglons in your life. God’s Word, presence, and Holy Spirit are the secret weapons that will give the victory.
Have a courageous God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Exodus 33-35