By John Harricharan
"The Midianites would race overthe land on fast- moving camels. They seemed numberless. Like locusts they came, destroying and laying waste until we lost all hope. Now, my father Joash had hidden some grain from the Midianites and one evening, while it was not quite dark,I went near the wine press to thresh the grain so that we could get some food. Near the wine press was a giant oak tree. As I looked over to the oak tree, a man whom I had never seen before stood up, walked over to me and raised his hand in greeting. Always mindful of spies, I was deathly afraid. But the man was smiling and he seemed friendly enough. Perhaps, it was a messenger of God, but then I was too frightened to ask.
"I stood there quivering as he said,‘Hello, you mighty man of valor, the Lord is with you.'
"I was puzzled by this greeting but summoned enough courage to ask a question, similar to the one you asked me earlier. ‘If the Lord is with me, how come the Midianites destroy our land, kill our people and enslave us?What would it have been like if the Lord hadn't been with me?'
"The answer he gave did not make sense at the time. ‘Go in your strength and save your people from the Midianites,'he said.
"I almost laughed, but seeing that the stranger was serious, I said,‘My clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least important in my family. How can I do anything?'
"The answer to my question is the same answer I give to yours. The man said, ‘The Lord will be with you and you shall smite the Midianites as one man.'
"You see, John, things were really bad. But that night I started thinking if I really believed in myself and this power that is called God, I could do anything. The rest is history—how,with only three hundred fighting men, we put the armies of Midian to flight. I then had all the wealth, power and happiness I could desire and lived to a ripe old age. When I died they laid me to rest in the tomb of Joash, my father, at Ophra."
"So, you lived on earth before this time, Gideon?"
"Of course, I did. Many times."
"Do you remember all those times?"
"Only the ones I want to. But from each time, there was something important to learn. From that experience with the Midianites I learned the importance of believing in myself and my God. I learned that no matter how bad things appeared to be, if you choose to change them and if you have a sense of purpose, you can overcome. You've had many lessons of this sort in other times but you've forgotten them. It's in remembering and applying what you've already learned that you find the answers to your present problems."
"How do I go about remembering these things? And how can these things be true?"
"What do you mean by ‘how can these things be true'?
Can you tell me how a tree grows, or how a bird flies? Can you explain how the world works? Listen to your heart and soul in your quiet times and you'll see how much you remember and how much you really know. The door of the soul opens inward and meditation is the key that unlocks that door. You've taught many people how to meditate and yet, you don't heed your own instructions. ‘Physician, heal thyself!'"
To read the rest of the story visit http://www.spiritual-simplicity.com
Lecturer, entrepreneur and MBA business consultant, John Harricharan is the author of the award-winning book, "When You Can Walk on Water, Take the Boat." Spiritual Simplicity The Real Secret
Source:www.isnare.com |
