September 20

Morning

The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” — Judg 7:20 BSB

Gideon gave his men two commands: to hide a torch inside an earthen jar, and at the appointed signal, to break the jar and let the light shine, and then blow the trumpet, shouting, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon! The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!”

This is exactly what every Christian must do. First, you must shine—break the jar that conceals your light. Cast off whatever has been covering your candle and shine brightly. Let your light shine before others through good works, so that when people see you, they will recognize that you have been with Jesus. Then comes the trumpet blast. You must be active in sharing the gospel, bringing the message of Christ to those who need it. Proclaim Christ crucified wherever you can, and don’t let people avoid hearing it. Blow the trumpet directly in their ears!

Remember, the Church’s true battle cry is Gideon’s war cry: “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” God is the One who will bring victory, for it is His work. But we are not to sit back idly. We must use every means available. If we only shout, “The sword of the Lord!” we will be guilty of presumption. If we shout, “The sword of Gideon!” we will be relying on human strength alone. We must blend both together in perfect harmony: “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” We can do nothing on our own, but through God’s help, we can do all things. Therefore, in His name, let us go out and serve with a blazing torch of holy example and a clear trumpet call of testimony. God will be with us, and our enemies will be confused. The Lord Almighty will reign forever and ever!

Evening

Sow your seed in the morning, and do not rest your hands in the evening, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper. — Eccl 11:6 BSB

Evening offers many opportunities for serving the Lord. After their day’s work, people often have time to hear about the love of Jesus. Do I have any evening work for my Savior? If not, I must stop holding back and begin to engage in this essential service. Souls are perishing from a lack of knowledge. Those who idle away their time may find themselves responsible for the loss of souls. Jesus gave both His hands to be nailed to the cross—how can I withhold even one hand from His work? He toiled and prayed for me both day and night. How can I spend even an hour pampering myself in ease? Awake, my idle heart! Reach out to work or lift your hands in prayer. Heaven and hell are earnest in their cause—how can I be indifferent? Let me spend this evening sowing good seed for the Lord.

The evening of life also calls us to action. Life is so short that the morning of our youth and the evening of our old age seem to blend into one. We cannot afford to waste a single day. It’s been wisely said that if a great king were to offer us a heap of gold, and told us we could take as much as we could count in a day, we would make the most of every hour from morning until evening. How much more valuable is the work of winning souls! How, then, can we withdraw from such labor? Some are blessed with a long evening of old age. If that is my case, I will use whatever strength I have left to serve my faithful Lord. By His grace, I will die with my armor on, laying down my work only when I lay down my body. Even in old age, I can encourage the young, strengthen the weary, and lift up the discouraged. Though evening may lack the heat of youth, it should possess more wisdom. Therefore, in my evening, I will not withhold my hand from the work of the Lord.