Change Your Thoughts

Today we are going to focus on a man who most would say, “didn’t qualify.” But, pedigree is not required in service to the Lord. Throughout scripture we see time and time again God using the rejected for His greatest leaders, Jephthah is no different. We are introduced to Jephthah in Judges 11 and in the opening sentence we find out his title, a valiant warrior, but the son of a harlot. I would like to point out that this was not by his choosing, or by no fault of his. He is a victim of circumstance and rejected even from his closest family. This is where I would like us to focus our attention. God will use the called, not those equipped my man’s standard. Too often we limit our effectiveness based on how we view ourselves. Our circumstances dictate our resolve. We have failed at some point in our lives, or we find ourselves rejected from those who should have been our greatest strength. So, we resolve that whatever has happened is now, “Our Story.” Jephthah could have made the resolve that rejection was his story, but he chose to let God have the final say. God will use those willing to sacrifice for His name, and when you sacrifice to God you become who He calls you. We find that Jephthah chose God and not his man given title. Later we find his name in the heroes of Faith chapter Hebrews 11. My question to you is, will Faith be your name or will resolve? You do not have to let circumstance dictate your effectiveness in the Kingdom, but let the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lead the way. Romans 6:10-11

1Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a valiant warrior, but he was the son of a harlot. And Gilead was the father of Jephthah. 2Gilead’s wife bore him sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” 3So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob; and worthless fellows gathered themselves about Jephthah, and they went out with him. (Judges 11)

32So Jephthah crossed over to the sons of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord gave them into his hand. 33He struck them with a very great slaughter from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim. So the sons of Ammon were subdued before the sons of Israel. (Judges 11)

32And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. (Hebrews 11)

Bill Smith