Threshing Wheat in a Winepress

Threshing Wheat in a Winepress Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. (Judges 6:11b) In order to understand scriptures, we must understand the context in which they were written. In order to understand the meaning of the above scripture, we must know that because of Israel's sin and continuous rebellion God delivered them into the hands of the Midianites for seven years. It was only when they cried out to the Lord did He send a prophet to give them directions. However, during those seven years Israel was oppressed, afraid, and greatly impoverished. Because of this oppression and fear, Gideon was threshing wheat, not in the threshing floor, the proper place, but in the winepress, in some private unsuspected corner, not to be seen by the Midianites. Sin in our own lives limits us. It makes us settle for improper places, improper people, and improper things. Sin causes us to have to sneak and hide to do certain things. Sin causes us to be confined to small places to do big jobs. Sin cramps our style. Sin causes us to resort to limited situations instead of being big and bold. Sin causes us to settle for living in a pit when we should be living in a palace. We settle for paddling a boat when we should be living on a yacht. We settle for riding bicycles when we should be driving Rolls Royces. We settle for being the tail when our destiny says we should be the head. There is a proper place for everything. The place to thresh wheat is on a threshing floor in the open air so the wind can blow the chaff away. To do it elsewhere is a sure indication that fear is lurking someplace in your life because of sin. Get rid of the sin and the fear will soon follow. Then you will be able to do what you need to do at the proper time and place without limitations. Let's not settle for LESS when God wants us to have the BEST! Rev. Margaret Minnicks Director, The Way of Life www.the-way-of-life.org